The Thin Blue Line
by thebronzeEF
Summary: Buffy has no idea what to think when she discovers that Spike is alive, kicking and living the high life in LA. She doesn't have long to confront him, however, when she accidently stumbles upon a certain sarcophagus in the labs of Wolfram and Hart, where Illyria lies dormant, soon to be awakened... Goes AU from 'Damage' Angel Season 5
1. Return to LA

Buffy marched up the steps of the Los Angeles branch of Wolfram and Hart, her fists clenched and palms sweating. Willow activating slayers worldwide had been a great help, don't get her wrong but hell, was there a lot more travelling involved. This was the last place she wanted to be. Angel was the last person she wanted to see. Facing him again, after their brief encounter in Sunnydale, was going to be seriously awkward. Hopefully she could just go in there, get Dana's whereabouts out of him and leave. It was so typical that a rouge slayer was in this town, this state. This country even!

She approached the main desk and asked for Angel but to her annoyance, was made to wait as a tall, skinny brunette made a phone call. Her hair was neatly tied up in a bun and her grey suit clung to her curves perfectly. The slayer didn't really listen to her words, as the perfectly made up woman in front of her started talking down the line. Buffy was too busy thinking up what she was going to say to the vampire. She hadn't thought this far ahead.

After what felt like years, the receptionist hung up and got to her feet.  
"This way, Miss Summers," she almost whispered in a sickly sweet voice. Angel must've given the woman her name. She followed her to a lift, which immediately opened and she cautiously stepped inside, taking in her surroundings. The receptionist smiled at her, with gleaming white teeth and pressed a button from outside the elevator, sending her up.

Buffy tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for the elevator to reach it's destination. She needed this over soon. She'd had the most peaceful period of her life, living in Rome for the past six months. Well, it hadn't been entirely peaceful. The nights that she'd woken up, screaming for Spike, were still vivid in her mind. She told herself to stop then. Thinking about the past, about him, wasn't doing her any favours. He was gone and she needed to accept that. Every evening she promised herself, no bad dreams. Just like Spike had whispered to her, the night before the fall of Sunnydale. She shook away all slayerish unrelated thoughts as the doors pinged open. She stepped out into yet another giant lobby. Oh, this was just brilliant. How was she meant to find Angel quickly now?  
"Buffy."  
A familair voice caught her attention. She looked over her shoulder. Of course Angel was waiting for her. She avoided his dark, menacing eyes.  
"What are you doing here?" he asked, nervously. Buffy slowly approached him.  
"Dana. A rouge slayer. Andrew told me that she was here in LA, in some sort of mental hospital. I assumed you already knew about it."  
"A slayer? Are you sure?"  
She crossed her arms.  
"Yep. Pretty sure. The girls...erm, slayers, have been on about nothing else for days now and I didn't want any of them to handle this one. Considering how dangerous we've been told she is."  
The vampire took a moment to process all thr information.  
"We should be able to get this done quickly if we head down the-"  
He was cut off.  
"There's no 'we.' Just me. I think it would be better if I handled this alone."  
Angel gave her a cautious look, as if he was going to bring something up that he knew she didn't want to hear.  
"Buffy. I..uh. About last time we met..."  
The slayer shook her head.  
"Not here. I don't want to talk about this here."  
She headed for the first set of doors her eyes located, Angel's office.  
"Wait, Buffy, don't go in there!"  
But it was too late. Buffy had walked in. The first thing she heard was raised voices. Two, she thought. She could barely make out what they were saying from all the talking over each other so looked around the large office to pinpoint the source of the commotion. Jee, was that Wesley? Man, had he changed. She looked slightly to his right to see the other man involved in the argument. A man that had only existed in her deepest, darkest nightmares and desperate, hopeless dreams for the last half a year.  
"No," she croaked. Both men looked in her direction. She stepped back a few paces.  
"No. No, this isn't fair." She backed up against one of the double doors before running out across the lobby, past Angel, whimpering to herself. "Not him. Why show me him?" The tightening in her chest worsened as she distantly heard his voice call out her name. But she didn't stop running.

*

Buffy had found a quiet corrdior corner, in a remote area and curled up in it. She didn't know if she was still in the lobby or not. It had taken her months to push all these feelings so far away that she was able to continue life normally and now everything had fallen apart again courtesy of Wolfram and Hart and their soul destroying mind games. Her head was pondering how they had managed to produce such a realistic copy of him but her heart didn't care. It was too full of loss and mourning again to feel logically. She was pulled from ber greif by Angel's voice.  
"Buffy, are you okay?"  
The slayer's head shot up and she frantically wiped any possible remnants of tears from her cheeks, even though she was well beyond crying now.  
"Yeah, of course. Don't worry about me."  
"I know I should've told you."  
She looked confused.  
"Told me what?"  
It was Angel's turn to look puzzled now.  
"Erm, about Spike?"  
"There's nothing to tell. Its just one of the Senior Partner's cheap tricks."  
"What do you mean?"  
Buffy got to her feet.  
"Spike. Its not him."  
"Who else would it be?"  
Buffy started to think that Angel was deliberately messing with her feelings now.  
"Spike died. He burned up in the Hellmouth, six months ago, Angel."  
The vampire started to realise now.  
"About that. We, uh, sort of brought him back."  
Okay, this wasn't funny.  
"The amulet he was wearing arrived here in our offices a few months back and we sort of...resurrected him."  
If he didn't shut up, she was gonna punch him in the face.  
"Stop it! This isn't a game!"  
He held up his hands up.  
"I'm not lying. I swear. Ask anyone. His essence somehow got trapped in the amulet and brought him back. He's really here."  
Buffy felt sick. Angel wasn't lying. She knew, by now, when he was.  
"How?"  
"We don't know."  
"And you didn't think to tell me?!"  
"It wasn't my place to."  
Now he was lying.  
"That's bullshit and you know it. You didn't want me finding out because of what I told you back in Sunnydale! God, you need to grow the hell up!"  
The slayer was surprised with the amount of anger she was suddenly feeling and venting. Angel simply looked on in humiliation and struggled to get out the next few words.  
"I guess...you want to see him."  
Truthfully, Buffy didn't know what she wanted right then. All she did know was that she had to safely get Dana to London.  
"No. Not yet. My priority's Dana right now."  
Angel hadn't expected her reaction. He'd expected her to jump at the chance of seeing him again but was secretly pleased that she hadn't. Maybe he was wrong about her feelings towards him.  
The vampire nodded and left but the sound of his name stopped him. Wesley was running after him, from a different direction. Buffy looked on from the distance as Wes' panicked expression spread to Angel. They'd only just finished talking when she caught up with them. She knew something was up.  
"Wesley, what's happened?"  
He looked to Angel for permission. What was with that anyway? Since when did Wesley take orders from anyone but the council?  
"It's Dana. She's escaped."  
Buffy's face fell. So much for getting the rogue slayer delivered to Giles harm free. She had a feeling catching her wasn't going to be pretty...

Buffy's hours long search, for the deranged slayer, had lead her to the docks. It was getting later and later and she was no closer to finding her. Other things were playing on her mind and distracting her from the job at hand when she needed full concentration. By 'other things,' she meant one thing. And that thing being Spike walking around, alive, back at Wolfram and Hart. She wasn't emotionally prepared for seeing him again so she was hoping some fresh air and a successful mission would give her the extra courage she needed. She pulled the lapels of her leather coat around her further as the bitter wind picked up, dragging the disgusting smell of gas and pollution along with it. She really, really hated LA. Nothing about it was welcoming anymore and it always delivered a painful blow, in some shape or form, every time she turned up.

A sudden crash caused her to quickly whip and out the tranquilizer gun, Angel had given her but it was knocked out of her hand by a blood covered Dana. Buffy had never seen the girl before but instantly knew it was her. She had something that connected her to other slayers. Buffy didn't have chance to react before she was knocked over too. The dark haired girl leant over her and pinned her to the floor, her strength unreal. Her expression was angry but her face was sad, frightened, alone.  
"Dana," Buffy breathed, under the pressure of Dana's hands on her throat.  
"You don't have to do this. I can help. I'm a slayer too. I don't want to hurt you."  
"Doesn't matter," she spat, through gritted teeth. "You're as bad as him. Want to take me away."  
"To help you. You can be with other slayers."  
The insane woman still wasn't moving so Buffy felt she had no choice but to disable her and throw her against a wall. She hit with an earth shattering crack but it was going to take a lot more than that to contain her. Catching her breath, Buffy got to her feet, her eyes not leaving the other slayer.  
"Dana, please. I'm not your enemy."  
The girl wiped blood from an injury caused by her impact with the wall. She looked ten times more pissed off now. Foolishly, Buffy had decided not to go for the tranquilizer straight away, hoping that words could still bring Dana round and recieved multiple blows to her face and stomach. Buffy retaliated, with all her strength, to get Dana to the ground again. She dealt and took several more punches but eventually trapped the girl beneath her and rolled them once so that they were in reach of the gun. She strained herself to reach it but was overturned by Dana again, who now had a surgical saw, in her grasp. Where the hell did that come from? The rogue slayer pinned her arms at an awkward angle and slowly lowered the blade to her throat.  
"Dana! No!" Buffy used her remaining strength to try and push her arms away but the teeth of the saw were slowly but surely making their way closer to her jugular.  
Suddenly, Dana's grip loosened a little on the saw and she wasn't as tense. Buffy didn't dare move. Then after a few more seconds, the slayer dropped the saw and went limp completely, presumably unconscious. She shoved her off of her and then threw the saw away. She noticed two cleanly shot tranquilizer darts in her back. She looked behind to see Angel and Wesley stood a few metres away.  
"I told you not to come along," she snapped.  
"Aren't you glad I did?" he asked, hinting to the scratch she had on her neck from the saw.  
"Thanks but I could've stopped her."  
"Yeah, well...I'll get my team to pick her up."  
Buffy shook her head.  
"You don't need to worry about that. I've got a group of girls on back up to take her to England."  
Wesley interrupted.  
"She's murdered people. Its our responsibility to deal with her."  
"No it's not. She's a slayer. We take care of our own. We know more about how to help her."  
"But..."  
"It's not up for discussion, Wesley. You're not a watcher anymore so please don't tell me what to do."  
Angel tried to think of what to say next as Buffy crouched down next to Dana's body and turned her over, removing the darts from her back as she did so.  
"Are you at least coming back to Wolfram and Hart?"  
The slayer froze.  
"And why would I do that?"  
"So we can talk this all over, make proper arrangements about Dana's transfer because man, is there gonna be a lot of paperwork."  
"Since when do you care about paperwork, Angel? There's nothing to dicuss."  
"What about Spike?"  
She knew he was going to get to that. Could she really face him now?  
"I don't know."  
"He wants to see you, Buffy. He won't admit but its's obvious," Wesley butted in.  
The slayer's heart fluttered oh so slightly. She wanted to see him too. Desperately! Why wouldn't she want to? It was just finding the strength not to break down in tears in front of him that worried her.  
"We better go then..."


	2. Infected

Buffy never made it to Wolfram and Hart. She'd ended up making her way to a nearby hotel to hide out. Who was she kidding? She couldn't face Spike yet. She wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to. Not after what she'd said to him in the Hellmouth. It didn't occur to her until later how much of a sick joke it sounded like after all she'd said and done to him in the past. She'd been cooped up in her room for the past week or so. She'd almost lost count of the days which was a sign that she needed to do something. Anything.

She was indulging in her favourite pastime, lounging about, when there was a knock at her door. Who the hell would be coming to visit her? She reluctantly dragged herself out of bed and heaved herself over to the door. She'd told Angel to stay the hell away so he had another thing coming if that was him at the door.

"Wesley," she affirmed, surprised, as she opened the door.

"Buffy."

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm here about Spike."

The slayer's stomach tightened.

"What about him?"

"You still haven't come to see him."

She gulped, slightly.

"I can't. What would I say?"

"That's not for me to decide. But I meant what I said when I told you Spike wants to see you."

"Then why hasn't he come to see me either? Let's face it, he's probably thinking the same as me."

"He hasn't come to see you because we both know how stubborn he is. Especially in front of Angel."

Buffy smiled internally when she thought of Spike and Angel having to live with each other, day in, day out.

"Of course, it's up to you." He went to leave but Buffy said something that stopped him in his tracks.

"Just make sure Angel isn't anywhere remotely close."

Wesley looked back to her and smiled.

* * *

Things hadn't gone exactly to plan. Again. Wesley had been called away suddenly and she was left on her own in the lobby. She'd been wandering around, searching for a familiar face for about twenty minutes. God, she would even take friggin' Harmony! After a while, she found a staircase and her gut told her she'd find something or someone useful up there. She followed the flow of employees until she reached the doors of what looked like a lab.

"Nice going, Buffy," she mumbled to herself. "Next time, don't follow your fucking instincts."

"Uh, you're Buffy right?" a friendly voice asked from her left. A girl was stood there in a lab coat. She had cute brunette ringlets and black oval framed glasses.

"Yeah, that's me. And you are?"

The girl smiled.

"Oh, I'm Fred. I'm head of the science department. Wesley told me you were here."

"You know Wesley?"

"Yeah. I meant to find you earlier but I got a bit tied up with this old relic that arrived earlier this morning. Kinda scary actually."

"Anything to worry about?"

"Oh, no. Not really. Just this big ol' sarcophagus," she explained as she opened the door to the lab.

"Wanna see?"

"I guess. I've got nothing else on my 'hectic' schedule."

At least she could pass the time doing something other than sleeping. Fred seemed sweet too. She slipped on a mandatory lab coat and followed Fred through a maze of benches and lab equipment until they reached a huge, sandy coloured tomb, decorated with crystals.

"Where did it come from?"

"No idea. Its unlike anything we've ever seen. Our records have nothing on it."

"I've gotta ask then, is it safe?"

"We've run some tests and nothing out of the ordinary has cropped up."

The slayer tried to look focused on the sarcophagus, feeling out of place amongst the science and archeology.

"Did you find Spike?" Fred asked, nervously.

"Not yet. I've still got to find him. He could be anywhere."

"Well, I think I saw him a couple of hours ago heading back up from the motor pool."

Buffy smiled.

"Thanks."

It looked as if Fred was about to leave but she continued to stare at the sarcophagus.

"Tell me if it's none of my business but Spike really does miss you. Of course, I don't know your history with him but whatever you've done...he's head over Doc Martins for you."

"I know. And I don't deserve it."

"I'm afraid I can't help you there. I don't know you well enough to decide that. You seem nice enough, though. Not that I didn't think you weren't nice before. I mean..."

"Fred, it's okay. I get what you mean. You seem to care about Spike. He needs more people like you around him. People who can treat him better than I ever did."

"He may try to act all tough and stubborn but he's as soft as butter on the inside."

Suddenly, a beeping echoed around the room and Fred pulled out a pager.

"Darn," she whispered. "I've gotta go."

"Let me guess, Angel needs help getting dressed?"

The scientist snickered.

"Somethin' like that. It was nice to meet you, Buffy."

"And you."

Buffy was still in the lab way after Fred had left. She was captivated by the relic in front of her. It was sort of...radiant. She was drawn to it and started to brush her fingers along the coarse edges before moving to the crystals. Then she noticed an odd spiral shape in the middle of the object and went to touch it. She knew she shouldn't really be messing around with things in the lab. They were here behind pass coded doors for a reason. Her logic didn't stop her, however. Neither did the fact that the spiral shape shot open, suddenly and a few seconds later dispersed a cloud of dust. She leapt back, coughing and spluttering and fell into a bench behind her. A couple of W&H employees ran into the room, to discover the source of the noise. Buffy still hadn't caught her breath as the employees came over to assist her. Within seconds, one of the men was on his walkie talkie, contacting medical. Buffy wanted to insist that she felt fine but who knew what that dust could've done to her.

* * *

After about an hour, the doctor was satisfied that Buffy was in the clear, which was a relief. Maybe not all demony stuff was harmful. She was slightly dehydrated but that was nothing a bottle of water couldn't solve.

On her way back to the main lobby, Buffy spotted Angel frantically searching for her. Obviously, he would've been alerted to the incident.

"Buffy, are you alright?" He was as close as he could get without touching her.

"I'm fine. A little bit of dust never hurt anyone."

"Maybe go back to your hotel. Take it easy, okay?"

Buffy was iritated that he was still dictating to her, even if his intentions were good.

"Honestly, I'm okay. I was just going to call Dawn."

She started down the corridor when she suddenly felt a bit strange. Nauseous even. Her hand went to cover her mouth and she pulled it away to see it covered with blood. What the fuck? Blood began to pour from her lips and she felt someone's arm around her, as she fell to the floor but blacked out before she saw who it belonged to. The last thought that ran through her head, before she lost consciousness, was that whatever was happening, it wasn't good...

* * *

Buffy woke later with the worst headache she'd ever had. For a minute, she was stuck in the wonderful illusion of being snug in her bed back at Revello Drive. Then the smell of disinfectant brought her crashing back to reality. She was laying amongst scratchy sheets and her back hurt from the hard mattress. This was just what she needed. Being back in the Wolfram and Hart medical centre. Her eyes slowly adjusted to the bright white wash walls and ceiling and her ears picked up on numerous whispers.

"Next time, don't go wanderin' off on your own, yeah?"

That voice.

"Spike?" She almost whimpered his name, not really knowing why. He was sat on a chair next to her bedside.

"I'm here, pet."

"What happened?" She realised how much of a cliché question that sounded like but she honestly couldn't recall much.

"You don't remember anything?"

She shook her head gently.

"You breathed in some sort of pathogen released by the sarcophagus in the lab," Angel interrupted. "We've got our people running tests and researching your symptoms as we speak. You'll be fine in no time."

Buffy didn't look reassured. She could tell this was worse than they were making out. Fred stepped out from behind Wesley.

"Buffy, I can't tell you how sorry I am. I didn't think when I left you there."

The slayer tried to push herself up into a sitting position but failed. No way did she want Fred blaming herself.

"Fred, it wasn't your fault. I was the one who touched it. It was a stupid thing to do."

Wesley started to comfort the upset scientist. Something told Buffy that they were more than friends. If that was the case, she was happy Wes had found someone. Angel left then, being called out of the room by a man named Gunn, concerning Buffy even more.

"Doctor's said you just need to take it easy. Sit back and relax while we get this thing out of you," Spike reassured her.

"Thing? So you don't know what it is?"

"We reckon it's a virus or something. Honestly, don't think anything of it, alright?"

How could she not? Going against her head, she leant back, tried to relax and changed the subject.

"I guess I should take the chance to say hey."

The vampire smirked. "Hey."

Wesley and Fred recognised the pair's need for space and made a quiet exit.

"Why didn't you come and see me?"

"I could say the same about you. Peaches said you were hidin' out at a hotel."

"That's not what I meant. What about before? You must've known I would'a wanted to see you."

"What would I have said? No way could I have topped our last conversation."

Buffy looked hurt. "You think I care about that? I just wanted to know you were alive! I thought I was going insane when I saw you last week."

He sighed. "I know, I'm sorry. I should'a called or something."

"Damn right."

"See you haven't lost your bossy side."

"Hey..." Buffy murmured, quietly. Spike looked concerned.

"You alright?"

"Bowl," she replied simply.

"Huh?"

"Get me a bowl!"

Spike quickly grabbed a cardboard bowl from a table and passed it to her. Just in time too. He awkwardly pushed back a strand of her hair as she started vomiting blood again.

"Oh, jesus," he whispered under his breath. Luckily, quiet enough for her not to hear.

"What the hell..." she paused as another wave of sickness overcame her, "Is happening to me?"

"I dunno, love. But we'll fix it. I promise you..."


	3. Dilemmas

"This is bollocks, Angel, what aren't you telling me?"

Angel was extremely reluctant to reveal the extent of Buffy's condition, fearing that the news would soon get back to her.

"You cannot tell her."

"I won't lie to her if she asks."

"She..." he started. "I mean...Her organs are cooking. Within a day, they'll liquify."

Spike felt as if all the blood had drained from his face. A day. Twenty four hours. One thousand, four hundred and forty minutes. Eighty six thousand, four hundred seconds. Putting it like that didn't help in the slightest.

"No they won't. Because we ain't gonna bloody let that happen!"

There was an element of anger mixed with unimaginable pain in his voice that Angel had never heard before.

"Now what else do we know?"

Angel sighed. "Not much yet. But Wesley think he might be onto a lead."

"Come find me as soon as you know anything."

"And where are you going?"

"Someone needs to be with Buffy. Keep her company and keep her calm when she finds out you wanted to keep the truth from her."

"And you think you're the right person to stay with her?"

Spike shook his head, exasperated with their petty squabbles.

"Well I can do sod all in the research department. Besides, you aren't exactly the person to break news sensitively."

* * *

Buffy was hooked up to numerous drips, when Spike returned. He'd only been gone for half an hour or so and she already looked worse. Seeing the beautiful slayer attached to all sorts of machines and leads was only just bearable. He was busy deciding whether she was asleep or not when her eyelids fluttered open.

"Angel being an asshole again?"

"How can you tell?"

"You look pretty pissed. No one I know gets you like this apart from him. Maybe me."

He laughed. "You got that right, ducks."

She tried to laugh with him but was too uncomfortable to genuinely do so.

"How are you feelin'?" he asked, taking a seat next to her again.

"I've been better. Serves me right for messing around with things I don't understand."

"No," the vampire snapped, reaching for her freezing cold hand. "Don't talk like that."

Buffy's smile faded.

"That just proves it."

"Proves what?"

"That it's worse. Tell me what's really going on. How long have I got?"

"A long time. Because we're gonna fix you."

"But if you can't."

Spike gripped her hand tighter.

"A day. Maybe more." The anguish in his voice probably hurt the slayer more than the news itself.

"Okay," she replied, calmly but with tears building up behind her eyes.

"But I promise that we're not gonna let anything happen to you."

"You don't have to promise anything. I know you'll all do what you can."

Angel suddenly burst in.

"Spike. Uh, can I speak to you?"

Spike looked back to the slayer and rolled his eyes, causing her to smirk.

"There she is," he whispered, brushing her forearm gently with his thumb, before making an exit.

Angel looked slightly more hopeful as Spike closed the door to Buffy's room behind them.

"Please tell me you've got something."

Angel opened the door to another side room.

"We think so."

Spike allowed himself to be led inside, where Wesley was waiting, surrounded by books. He got straight to the point.

"It's called Illyria. A great monarch and warrior of the demon age, murdered by rivals and left adrift in the Deeper Well."

"Which is what?" Angel snapped.

"A burial ground, a resting place of all the remaining old ones. I assume Illyria's essence is using Buffy as a host to sustain a physical presence."

Spike's blood boiled at the thought of anything using Buffy in such a way. "How do we get rid of it?"

The ex-watcher didn't dare look away from the pages, in fear of being burned alive by the vampires' scorching gazes.

"There's nothing written here. The Deeper Well, itself, may hold the answers."

"Then that's where we're going," Angel decided. Spike took a step forward.

"And I'm comin' with you. Like it or not."

"Fair enough. But hurry. We leave within the hour."

The bleached vamp immediately decided that wasn't good enough.

"No. Half an hour. We can't waste any more time."

Spike didn't like the thought of breaking the news to Buffy that he was leaving for England so soon after them being reunited. He didn't want to cause her any more problems if she resented the idea of him going away again.

She was slowly sipping from a cup when he returned. The liquid in it was an odd pastely colour. Most likely something the medics had concocted in an attempt to take the edge off her symptoms.

"Tasty?" he joked, re-entering the room.

"Not really. I think I preferred the Double Meat human burgers."

The vampire grinned but didn't approach her any further.

"What is it?" she asked, not talking about the drink anymore.

"Me and Captain Forehead are goin' to England. We think the answers we need are there."

The sickly slayer gulped. "For how long?"

"I dunno. Should take us eight hours round trip though."

"That's a third of the time I've got left."

"Buffy..."

"It's true. I might not be here by the time you get back."

"You will. You will because I'm flyin' out there and we're gonna find what we need to save you."

Buffy was still adamant at her point of view. "I lost you once and it almost killed me so please. Please don't leave me again."

Spike seemed to consider the slayer's desperate pleas for a minute.

"I lost you once and it almost killed me too. I can't sit by and let it happen again. Just keep fighting. You're strong so I know you can do that. I'll be back before you know it."

The slayer knew already that her will power wasn't enough to fight off this infection, even if she did have super human strength. With those final words, Spike left, leaving Buffy in horrific silence...

* * *

About fifteen minutes later, Angel reappeared in the lobby, the jet now prepared and ready to be boarded. Spike had thought heavily about Buffy's display of desperation upstairs. His heart was telling him to stay and look after her, be there because she needed him but his head was demanding that he get his ass on to that jet and save the slayer's life. What was a guy to do? Angel unwittingly tore him from his thoughts.

"You ready? It's now or never."

Spike nodded, pushing his guilt aside. Suddenly, Harmony jumped up from her desk.

"Uh, boss? Here's your flight plan. The pilot's taking the shortest route."

"Thanks, Harmony," he muttered, his mind elsewhere. Spike was set on walking straight past when the airhead vamp called his name. He paused and Angel carried on without him.

"Spike. I..,uh, heard about the slayer. I still don't like her or anything but what happened kinda sucked. You finally found her and then she starts dying and everything."

Spike didn't look slightly engaged in the conversation or amused.

"What I'm try'na say is...I'm sorry. I know what she means to you." She struggled to get her last sentence out. Spike had gone from disinterested to suddenly stunned. Was Harmony saying something nice about Buffy?"

"I, uh. Thanks, Harm. I guess."

She smiled meekly before, metaphorically, burying her head in paperwork to escape his confused, pitiful gaze. Her eyes rose again, a second or so after but they looked straight past her ex.

"Buffy?"

Spike spun around to see the slayer at the bottom of the main staircase, gripping on to the banister for dear life. Very faint blue lines were now noticeable on her brow and dark rings were beginning to form under her terrified eyes.

"Don't go."

The vampire approached her. "Buffy, you need to be resting."

"I really don't. I need to be making sure that I don't let you run out."

"I can't do anything for you here, love. I'm bloody useless in this place."

Buffy's eyes widened in horror.

"Useless? That's the last thing you...are." She paused, seemingly in pain, before uttering her last word as she tried to discreetly wrap an arm around her ribs.

She barely managed the words "Please stay."

Spike took an unnecessary deep breath, not taking his next decision lightly. But it was what she wanted. Part of loving her was supporting her and respecting her wishes. Especially in a situation like this.

"Okay. You need me here, of course I'll stay."

Even though she had no reason to right now, Buffy felt a lot of tension leave her. She didn't have to worry about being alone. The relief made her lose her footing and fall backwards slightly, her condition not helping matters. Spike luckily caught her in time before carefully pulling her back to her feet. She wasn't strong enough to support her own body weight so he breifly brought her to lean on him and secured an arm around her back.

"Now will you accept that you need to rest up?" His voice was like silk. She moved her head to rest on his shoulder as a sign of acknowledgement.

"Harmony," Spike called back to the secretary. "Tell Angel to leave without me. I'll explain later."

An uncomfortable Harmony nodded and looked on, jealousy overcoming her, as Spike gently scooped Buffy up into his arms and began to carry her up the stairs, back to the medical centre.

Harmony picked up the phone, punched in a number and in seconds, got a response.

"Hi, Angel. Here's the thing..."


	4. Desperate Times

Buffy had been staring at the cell phone in her hand for longer than she could remember. She kept talking herself in and out of calling Dawn and alerting her of the situation.

"Do you think I should tell her?"

Spike looked up from pouring out more of Buffy's pastel coloured medicine.

"I mean, I know it's important but I don't want her worrying. She has enough on her plate right now."

"Don't be stupid. Dawn would want to see you without a doubt. You don't have to go through this on your own."

"I've got less than a day to live. I'm hardly going through anything long term."

Spike immediately abandoned what he was doing. "Buffy, stop this."

She didn't say anything. She simply rolled onto her side, away from the vampire's view.

"Angel may be an utter wanker but he knows what he's doing. He'll find answers."

"I'm twenty three. I shouldn't be planning how to spend my final day."

Spike perched on the side of the bed.

"Then don't. Get Dawn, get the scoobies here and have a normal day. Let us all take care of you for once."

He pulled her blanket further over her before preparing to give her the space that she appeared to want.

"Just outside if you need me."

She nodded, not wanting to speak and let him hear the tears in her voice.

* * *

Spike made sure that he was out of earshot before he pulled out a cell Angel had leant him. He realised his hands were shaking terribly, as he tried to type in a number and took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down before initiating the call. The last thing he needed was to worry anyone else just yet. The dialing tone seemed to go on forever as he prayed that the she would pick up.

Finally, it connected.

"Hello?"

"Dawn, it's Spike."

There was no reply for a few seconds.

"W-what?"

"Listen, I can explain later but now, you need to listen to me."

"But, you died. The Hellmouth...It can't be you."

"Bit, listen to me. Something's happened to your sister. You need to come to LA..."

Spike had struggled to keep his emotions in check on the phone as Dawn became more and more concerned. Hating hearing her so upset, he wanted to reassure her that everything would be okay, but he was starting to question whether it would be. He was putting all his faith in Angel to save the slayer but what if he couldn't? What if he ran out of time? Hell, what if the answers they needed weren't even at the sodding Depper Well? As much as he believed Buffy would be saved in time, he had to admit the doubts were valid, at least to himself. Of course he wasn't going to tell Buffy she had a right to be worried. He had to believe. Had to.

* * *

He took a few more minutes to calm down before heading back to check on Buffy but after peaking through the blinds, he noticed her bed totally empty. Where the bloody hell had she run off to? His first thought was to check with Wes and rushed to the ex watcher's office. Conveniently, Fred was with him too. Before he could stop himself, he burst in through the doors without warning.

Wesley spoke first, a little irritated at the intrusion, already under a lot of stress. "Spike."

"Is everything okay?" Fred added, a little more fear in her voice. She obviously still felt responsible for everything.

"Buffy's not in her room. Have you seen her?"

The pair's faces went blank, giving Spike his answer straight away. He barely registered Fred calling after him as he marched back towards the medical centre, frantically searching every inch of space in front of him. What was she thinking running off on her own? Her strength was deteriorating fast which meant that she had to be so careful. A funny turn at the top of a staircase could be disastrous! He was walking past medical for the tenth time when a sudden smash caught his attention. He peered through the blinds again to see a pile of broken glass near a counter. Then it occured to him that he'd never actually checked the room. It didn't take him long to find Buffy hidden behind a cabinet, trying her best to walk.

"Buffy, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like? I've only been in that bed a few hours and I'm already sick of it. I can't just sit around."

"I get that. I do. But you're gonna hurt yourself if you don't stop goin' walkabout." He kicked the shards of glass to the side before attempting to assist Buffy.

"Don't touch me! I can walk for god's sake!"

The vampire allowed her to support herself but didn't retreat.

"I can't imagine how hard this is. I don't think I ever will but you need to accept that you need help."

"No, I don't. The least I want to do is take care of myself for the twenty hours I've got left!"

Spike was exasperated. "For once, stop being such a stubborn cow and let people help you!"

The slayer's frustration was becoming increasingly apparent now. She used what strength she had to meekly slap his chest. "You don't know what it's like to be slowly dying, every part of you decaying and turning into something else that's not even a little bit you! Knowing constantly that every minute could be your last!" She went to hit him again but he caught her wrist with one hand and tried to hold her upright with the other. Her screams turned into sobs as her knees went weak and she gave up on trying to stand up. Spike dropped to his knees with her and held her as she continued to wail into his shirt. His soothing words didn't seem to make any difference. He wasn't surprised. They were just words. But what else could he do for her? Nothing else here in America, that was for sure. His beloved slayer was getting worse by the minute. It was all up to Angel...


	5. The Last Night

"Please don't go there, slayer," Spike begged, hiding his face in shame. Buffy's inner minx giggled in glee at her new found power over the vampire.

Spike had been keeping her company for an hour or two after she refused to spend any more time sleeping that day. Dusk was quickly approaching.

Even through the mind numbing drugs, she was luckily still just able to form coherent sentences.

"Maybe you shouldn't have stumbled into Sunnydale totally wasted then. I still remember you wandering around like a lovelorn teen, crying your eyes out at the mere mention of love."

Spike cringed at the memories of his drink fuelled escapade to the Hellmouth shortly after Dru had dumped him.

He sighed. "I'm never gonna live that down, am I?"

"Nope," she teased.

Suddenly, a thought struck Spike. "I've got a story or two involving you and whisky, love. Don't forget that."

To Spike's annoyance, the slayer didn't look the slightest bit worried.

"No way was I as bad as you."

Spike huffed. "You clearly don't remember a thing about that night, then."

Buffy thought for a moment. "I remember Kitten Poker."

The pair smiled at the happier memory.

"Indeed there was."

She noticed a certain hesitation in his voice.

"Oh, you're not going all softie on me, are you?"

"What?"

"Your soul give you a kitten conscience too?"

Hesitation quickly became a look of deep discomfort across his expressive features.

"Erm...I may have set some of the cats free at a game one night a few weeks back."

Buffy began to laugh all over again.

"Tell Peaches and I'll have to stake him."

The slayer soon had to halt her laughing fit. She was so easily exhausted now.

"Thanks," she whispered after a while.

"For what, pet?"

"For making me laugh. For just being here."

The vamp didn't really know how to answer that so he simply smiled, touching her forearm tenderly. From out of nowhere, she began to wince in pain, slightly, putting Spike on high alert. He looked up to see that her drip bag was empty. He knew it had been running out but they must've been talking longer than he thought.

"Hold on a sec, love." He poked his head out of the door and caught the attention of a doctor, who soon attended to her pain relief.

"There now," the man started as the liquid began to drip down the plastic tube and into her arm. "That should kick in soon. Give me a shout if you need anything else."

"Cheers, Knox," Spike added. Knox looked at Spike and then Buffy before smiling. He paid particular attention to the slayer. "You're welcome." With that, he left.

Unfortunately, the recent incident had brought Buffy back from her short lived oblivion.

"Where's that smile gone, hey?"

She tried to recover her grin but the reality of everything started to weigh her down again.

"Just uncomfortable. I'll be alright once this stuff kicks in again." She placed her hand over the area where the drip entered her arm.

"Bit of a longshot, but can I convince you to get some kip now?"

She shook her head. "No. I want to go to the roof."

Spike gave her a confused look.

"This could be my last chance to see the stars."

His confused look turned to one of sympathy. "Okay."

He helped her to her feet, pulling a blanket with her, before starting to wheel her IV pole towards the door. She momentarily struggled to stand, adjusting to her upright position.

"You sure you're up for this?"

The slayer looked directly into his shining pools of deep blue.

"Yeah."

The stairs were definitely a 'no go' so they took the over glamorous lift to the roof level. It wasn't exactly a welcoming place for someone in Buffy's state but it was worth it to feel the breeze on her face, to see the night sky just one more time. She reached the edge of the building and leant against the wall separating her from the ground beneath her feet and a nasty few hundred metre fall. The railing should've been ice cold against her palms but she was so constantly cold these days, she barely noticed. The vampire's presence behind her was comforting. He was giving her space but wasn't too far away either. She didn't blame him. The amount of times she'd lost her balance recently.

"I used to look up here when I thought about you. Maybe you were up there somewhere."

Buffy's comment took him by surprise.

"Yeah?"

She nodded, even with her back to him. As if she couldn't bare to face him right now.

"And that was pretty often. Every night, almost, I'd look up and hope you could see me. Was my way of being close to you again."

The vamp wondered where all her openness was coming from all of a sudden.

"Well, I'm here now. You don't have to worry about me going anywhere."

She turned her head to the right so that she could see him out of the corner of her eye. God, even with some monster flu and the fact she was almost completely bathed in darkness, she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He wanted nothing more than to tell her but, somehow, he didn't think that was what she needed to hear at that particular moment. It would sound too much like a pity comment to her.

"What are you thinking?" she asked, her tone soft and smooth.

If vampires could've blushed, he'd have been doing it now.

"Nothin'. Just wondering if you're getting a chill, is all."

"Liar. What are you really thinking?"

Spike took a moment. "How gorgeous you look right now."

She smiled, as if she thought he was making a joke, before a tear rolled down her cheek.

"A pale, veiny slayer who can barely walk or keep anything down? Yeah, I sound like a dream."

Spike put a hand on her shoulder. "Bollocks. There's never once been a time where you haven't stolen the stage. No one else around compares to you, love."

Before Buffy knew what she was doing, she'd guided Spike's arms to her waist so that they were body to body. The pair both gasped quietly in surprise at the action. They soon adapted to it and the tension faded from Spike's biceps and Buffy's body. It felt so good to be held by him again. Greater than she could ever put into words.

"I think I'm ready to go in now," she admitted after several minutes.

Spike withdrew his arms from around her and brushed his lips, ever so gently, against her ear lobe as he pulled away. Accidentally or purposely, she didn't know. He steadied her as she began to walk back towards the building, Spike still dragging her IV drip pole with them.

The slayer glanced over her shoulder one last time before disappearing back into the law firm that was now her hospice.

* * *

Spike didn't leave the slayer's side until he was positive she was asleep. He didn't usually like to leave he at all, and she wasn't the greatest fan of that idea either, but he had some intel to chase. Angel must've arrived at the Deeper Well by now. Maybe even had some answers. The vampire was surprised to find Fred, Gunn and Lorne all gathered round in Wesley's office. Perhaps there was news.

"What's goin' on?" he asked, causing everyone to turn to face him. Wesley got up from his chair. "Spike, I was just about to call you."

"Has Angel found anything?"

Everyone looked miserable.

"Yes, I guess you could say that."

Why was he stopping there?

"You might wanna sit down," Fred interjected. "This could take a while."

To Fred's surprise, though, the explanation didn't take long at all. Spike got his head around the matter pretty quickly.

"There's got to be another way. Anything else."

"There isn't." This was the first thing Gunn had said on the matter since the incident. "The keeper of the Deeper Well says there's no way of drawing Illyria out of her host body without taking the sarcophagus back to England. Thousands of people will die."

Spike refused to accept that there was nothing they could do. Lorne, a glass of scotch still in his hand, took a step forward. "We'll keep lookin' but this isn't the way. Buffy wouldn't want this."

That was one thing that nobody could disagree on. As much as the slayer wanted to live, no way would she want thousands upon thousands to die in her name. That's what Spike loved about her.

"What do I tell her?" he asked. Wes and Fred shared a look.

"Perhaps it's best if you don't yet. We need her to believe that there's still hope."

"Well, isn't there?"

Fred looked a little taken aback. "Spike, that's not what we-"

"You may have given up but like hell am I letting her die."

Before anyone could get another word in edge ways, the vampire stormed off leaving a trail of anger and frustration in his wake...


	6. Realisations And Arrivals

Spike forgot about the creaky door to the medical centre and carelessly opened it, in his rage, waking Buffy up in the process.

"Shit," he whispered. "Sorry."

The slayer didn't make an effort to move.

"How long did I lose?"

Her choice of words stung Spike a little.

"Not long. Only an hour."

"What have I missed?"

"Nothing special."

Spike let his true feelings take over more than he meant to. She may have been half asleep still but nothing got past her.

"You sure?"

He nodded unconvincingly. Buffy had given him the chance to openly tell her what was up, but he couldn't bring himself to take it. Both hating himself for this cowardice, and telling himself to stay strong, he remained silent. She sat up and reached for his hand, pulling him towards her and in to a sitting position on the side of the bed.

"Spike. What's wrong?"

"Honestly, love. Nothing new to report. Just take it easy, alright?"

"Then why are you looking at me like that?"

"Like what?" He frowned.

"There. Like that!"

"Well, however I'm looking at you, there's nothing goin' on."

Buffy was determined to get some sort of sense of how he was feeling, one way or another.

"Don't think. Just...tell me what you're feeling. The first thing that occurs to you."

Spike paused. Not to think but to avoid telling her how he really felt. She had enough to deal with. He hung his head lower.

"Hey," she whispered, touching his cheek with her icy fingers. "Don't be afraid to tell me."

He closed his eyes at her touch but reopened them when he went to speak. "I'm scared."

The slayer silently urged him on, squeezing his hand tighter.

"I'm fucking terrified of losing you, and there's nothing I can do to stop it from happening." He hesitated. "I know you're not mine. I know I don't have you...but I can't lose you."

Both of her hands were cupping his face now. She leant in close and whispered in his ear. "You do have me."

The vampire had to stop himself from pulling back in shock. Even more so when the slayer pressed her lips to his softly. The extent of how cool her lips were sent a physical shudder through him. She was so much colder than him and that was saying something. Her taste was just as he remembered. She didn't really have a distinct taste or flavour but he'd know this woman's lips anywhere. The vampire felt her hands creep around to the back of his neck so she could deepen the embrace. Before he knew it, tears started to roll down his cheeks, one by one. Everything was so overwhelming. Angel's revelation, Buffy's supposed reciprocation of his feelings and simply the feel of her kissing him like her life depended on it. Spike couldn't stop himself as his hands dived into Buffy's hair. He wasn't sure if it was his urge to memoriese every inch of her perfect features while he still had time with her that caused him to do this, or if it was that he was paying tribute to the whole of her body that he once had already committed to memory. But, whatever the reason, he couldn't stop. Their embrace continued for what felt like hours, simple yet powerful touches being shared every now and then. Until Buffy started to increase the intensity of the moments.

"Pet," Spike panted. "What are you doing?"

She looked beyond done and had only woken up a few minutes ago. He hadn't thought about how much just kissing would drain her of energy.

"Please," she murmured. Spike wasn't sure what she meant until he felt a hand slip underneath his tee. He shook his head. "No."

"Why?"

"Love, you're exhausted. You're under enough strain as it is."

The slayer refused to let the pain she was starting to feel in her chest ruin this.

"I want this more than anything. I'm not gonna let this infection stop me from being with you. I don't want to have any regrets."

"What about me? What if I regret this?"

Her face fell and the vampire felt awful.

"Love, no. That's not what I meant at all. It's just..what if something happens that makes you worse? I really don't wanna be responsible for that."

"Since when do you think about consequences?" she joked but he looked deadly serious.

"I'm getting worse every second. This isn't going to make any difference."

Spike sighed heavily but didn't answer.

"Do you want this?" Buffy asked him.

He looked at her as if she was mad. "You've got no idea."

"Then what's there to think about?" She traced the hem of his shirt, waiting for him to respond. "This isn't some desperate plea to feel something. This is real."

He already knew that she wasn't using him for anything but to hear her say it aloud was another thing. He had no idea what to say next.

"Oh god," she started, realising how all the things she had just said sounded. "I wasn't trying to pressure you. I'm sorry. I didn't mea-" The slayer was cut off by Spike's finger on her lips. He smiled.

"Just said it's what I wanted, didn't I? Only thinkin' about you."

"I know. That's why I love you."

Ordinarily, Spike would've taken a minute after hearing her say something like that but his emotions were already a fluctuating mess. All he knew was that he wanted to do all he could for this woman and if this was what she really wanted above all else right now, who was he to deny her.

Before either of them could say another thing, they were kissing again, this time more intimately. All the while, their actions were slow and gentle. He'd missed touching her more than he cared to admit, considering what happened the last time they were this physically close. He carefully slid her into his lap and rested his hands on the small of her back, nuzzling her affectionately. She reached round to grasp the end of Spike's tee, putting her in an awkward and slightly painful position. Spike immediately stopped.

"I'm fine. I just twisted my arm." She was already looking tired but at the same time, determined to keep as much control as she could over her own body. Noticing her struggle, he pulled his own shirt off and held her flush against him. She teased the flesh of his throat, with the tip of her tounge, in the curves and creases that she knew he reacted to. She knew Spike's body better than anyone's. Trying not to get too lost in pleasure just yet, the vampire lifted Buffy's arms so that she held them in a straight line above her head, before pulling her blouse up and over them. He let out a gasp as his eyes met her chest. The severity of Illyria's effect on her was clear here. Blue lines covered most of her pale flesh and she looked thin. Thin as he'd ever seen her. She had been infected less than twelve hours ago and already this merciless creature had almost completely ravaged her body and drained her life force. Not even the slayer herself had realised how badly she was effected under her clothes.

"Its bad, huh?" She looked as if she was about to burst into tears again. Spike put his hand over the largest clump of the veins, in the middle of her sternum, showing her that none of it mattered for any reason at all.

"No. You're beautiful."

The slayer giggled soflty through her tears. For the first time in a long while, she actually felt beautiful and she owed it all to the man before her. No matter what had happened, he'd stayed loyal to her, never treated her differently for any particular reason or special circumstance. But most of all, he made her feel normal and that was something she wanted most of all. Struggling to do things, that she once took for granted, was the most frustrating thing for Buffy. She wasn't able to stay in a sitting position for very long, simply because of the energy the pleasure took from her. Her slayer agility was all but gone. Spike made sure they took things steadily but taking their time did nothing to help the slayer.

She kept reassuring the vampire whenever he tensed up in concern over one of her sudden movements or noises. She could tell that he was so worried about making things worse but at the same time, trying to get everything from this experience for them both. Sure, Buffy still felt the odd twinge of pain but it was nothing compared to the ecstasy she was revelling in. No one had ever made her feel the way he did.

To her annoyance, she admitted defeat after the first time. One climax was often enough to wipe out a fit and healthy human let alone her. She fell asleep almost instantly in Spike's arms as they both lost themselves in their post coital highs. The last thing she consciously thought about that day was the amazing feeling of Spike's body against her own as she curled her arms and legs around his side. This was perfect.

* * *

Daylight had already broken by the time Buffy awoke again. She prayed it wasn't too late in the day. Trying to sit up, to reach for her cell phone, wasn't easy as she was experiencing a lot of pain. More than usual. The slayer considered that it might be partly down to her activities last night but was pretty sure that Illyria was to blame. It probably would've happened anyway.

Spike was still sleeping peacefully next to her. She didn't want to wake him but, at the same time, hated the thought of not spending her every waking moment with him. She placed her hand on his chest in an attempt to bring him round.

"Hey," she whispered.

Spike inhaled suddenly and opened his eyes. He looked to his right to see the slayer's head resting on his shoulder, her eyes fixed on his face and filled with love.

"Morning." He planted a kiss on her forehead.

"Hey," she said again.

"Eveythin' alright?"

"Just a bit of pain," she lied. "Nothing Knox's wacky cocktail can't fix."

Spike's eyes lifted to the IV stand. There was still about half a bag of the pain relief left but that would soon run out.

"What's the time?" she asked, not wanting to risk reaching for her phone and revealing just how badly she was suffering. Spike retrieved his discarded duster and rummaged for a rather pricey watch he'd pinched off of Angel a while back. He never knew when he might need money fast.

"Just gone seven." Then he realised. Dawn could be here any minute! He wouldn't be surprised if she was already here!

He acted quickly. "I'm gonna go see if Wes has heard from Angel. If we're lucky, he might be back."

Buffy held the blankets to her chest as the vampire clambered out of bed to find his clothes.

"Lucky seems like a poor choice of word to use in a sentence with Angel," she joked.

"You got me there." He'd just finished pulling his t-shirt over his head. "I won't be long. I'll make sure no one comes in either. Wouldn't want anyone walking in and takin' a peak at your modesty."

"Bet you'd have something to say about that."

Spike winked at her. "Damn right I would."

* * *

Spike headed straight down to the lobby, after leaving Buffy and telling the team that she was still asleep and not to be disturbed, to check any new arrivals with Harmony.

"Harm, has any-"

"Spike?"

The vamp looked to his left to see Dawn standing near the lift, Willow not too far behind her.

"Dawn."

The girl tired to smile. "Where is she? Where's Buffy?"


	7. Alternative Measures

Spike's stunned silence worried Dawn even more.

"Oh god, is she okay?" Willow asked.

"Uh, yeah. Yeah, she's upstairs," he answered blankly. "Just hold on a sec." He went to leave but noticed Dawn's becoming even more panicky. "Honestly, she's alright. Still asleep is all." The girl welcomed the hug that followed his reassurance.

"It's good to see you, niblet." The vampire was sure he heard her begin to sniffle. "Do you like seeing me cry, you jerk?" she joked. He knew exactly what she meant.

"I'm here now," he assured her.

"You sure? I'm still sort'a convinced you're a ghost."

Spike smiled awkwardly, her joke a little too close to home. He quickly changed the subject.

"Come on up. Just need to make sure she's awake."

Willow nodded and Dawn smiled.

* * *

After escorting the pair to a side room, Spike knew he had a lot of thinking to do. He hadn't considered how he was going to explain to Buffy that he'd phoned her sister up out of the blue and let her in on the situation. The slayer was probably going to be a little annoyed with him but he decided that he didn't care. He'd made a good decision.

The slayer was nodding off again when Spike re-entered her room again. She could tell something wasn't right by the way he approached her.

"Do I want to hear this?" she asked, cautiously. The vampire took a deep breath.

"Promise you'll listen to what I have to say before you fly off the handle."

Still laying on her front, she shuffled towards the side of the bed. "What have you done?"

"I phoned Dawn yesterday and told her to come over here."

Buffy looked surprisingly calm. "Why have you decided to tell me now?"

Spike thought that was obvious.

"Because she's next door, worried out of her skin and waiting to see you."

"Jesus, Spike, how early did you call her?"

"Not long after Angel left. I couldn't have left it any longer otherwise..." He trailed off, realising what he was saying aloud.

"I might not have been around to see her," Buffy finished for him.

"Love, that's not what I-"

"You don't need to explain. I'm glad she's here." She started to rummage around for her clothes. "Does anyone else know?"

"Willow's here with her. Dunno about Harris or Giles."

Buffy stopped in her tracks. Willow. Why hadn't it occured to her before? "Do you think Willow knows anything? About...this."

"I honestly don't know, love. This sort of magic is old and I don't know how far Red's reach goes."

"I've got a rough idea."

"What do you mean?"

The slayer sighed as she recalled less than happy memories. "After Tara died, Willow went a little off the rails. She absorbed the dark magics and tried to take over the world. Her power was so strong. We barely stopped her so I'm guessing she has a pretty extensive knowledge of old magic."

Spike looked beyond surprised.

"Guess I missed out on more than I thought then."

"You should be glad you weren't there. It wasn't pretty."

A thoughtful silence hung in the air.

"Well, it's worth a shot. There's something that'll work. Doubt this Illyria didn't have an emergency back up plan."

"For someone who conquered the world once upon a time, she'd be dumb not to have one."

The vampire was grateful that the morning had brought her a fresh perspective. Meanwhile, Buffy was very confused as to where her clothes had gotten to. They hadn't exactly tossed the items away in a flurry of passion last night.

"Looking for these?"

Buffy stopped searching and a rather intimate piece of her clothing, hanging from Spike's finger, caught her eye.

"Don't tell me you took those downstairs with you?"

Spike tried to look stunned. "Do you really think that, slayer?" he demanded, sarcastically. "I'm shocked. When have I ever pocketed your lingerie?"

She raised her eyebrow.

"No, I didn't, they were on the floor. You're alright, pet. Even I know that some things need to be kept private."

She smirked. He handed her back the item but his smile soon faded when he noticed her struggling to simply lean forward. She was worse than she'd made out earlier.

"It's okay, I got this," she insisted, through gritted teeth. The thought of needing assistance to dress was mortifying.

"I'll give you a minute." Spike knew that the last thing Buffy needed was an audience. He empathised with how difficult and awkward this must've been for her.

"Thanks." She didn't look him in the eye. They knew each other so well after all these years, trusted each other. But she still couldn't bare him to see her like this.

* * *

The next time Spike entered Buffy's room, he had Dawn and Willow with him. He appreciated that they'd been waiting for what felt like days, to them. The vampire had been with her almost all of the time since she'd arrived at Wolfram and Hart, so Buffy's physical appearance wasn't as shocking to him as it was to the the women. Buffy couldn't bare to see them looking at her like that for a moment longer and spoke before she could stop herself.

"It's not as bad as it looks."

Spike shot her a look. She just couldn't help trying to keep the truth hidden could she? Dawn immediately went to Buffy's side.

"What's going on? What happened to you?"

Buffy glanced back at Spike. Obviously he hadn't gone into much detail on the phone with her. The vampire pulled up another chair, to join the one already by Buffy's bedside.

"I'll leave you ladies to it. Better make sure Wesley's being kept on his toes."

* * *

Indeed, Wesley was being kept busy. Spike found him knee deep in research in his office. The vampire had never expected him to throw himself into this so much with all the other things he had on his plate. The ex-watcher looked up when he heard a knock on his door, Spike peering round the corner of it.

"Well this is a rarity."

Spike didn't understand. "What?"

"You. Knocking."

The vamp suddenly felt strangely shy. "Yeah, well, you looked busy. Didn't want to barge in."

Wesley didn't respond and looked back to his books. Spike slipped his hands into his duster pockets and wandered towards Wes' desk. He took the seat in front of it.

"On a scale of one to ten, how much progress?"

Wesley didn't need to be asked twice to know what Spike meant. "Factually, zero. Theory wise, maybe a six."

Spike's nervous breathing hitched. "Go on."

"From what Knox is telling me, Buffy's holding out a lot longer than we expected. The average human would be entering the final stages round about now. Her slayer strength is obviously the thing buying her time."

There was something else the man wasn't telling him.

"But?"

"But it's not enough to save her. Eventually, Illyria will consume her."

Spike felt another punch in the gut at the reminder.

"Think we've already established that, Pryce. What's your idea?"

Wesley removed his glasses and leant forward.

"Think of Buffy's slayer persona as her demon. It's the strongest part of her. It's trying desperately to fight off Illyria but isn't strong enough on it's own."

Spike really didn't like where this was going. Was he suggesting they introduce yet another demon into the equation? Either way, Wes hadn't finished yet.

"Another demon with equal strength could help overpower Illyria."

"Incase you haven't noticed, all the baby slayers have nowhere near as much power as Buffy," Spike assumed.

Wesley looked uncomfortable. "I didn't exactly have a slayer in mind."

"Then who?"

"The process would be more effective if the demon had a deep connection with Buffy's. A unique relationship that no one else can ever come close to."

The vampire felt a huge lump slide down his throat. He knew Wesley meant him by the way he was looking at him. "You want me to let my demon completely out?"

"Not exactly."

Spike was exasperated. "Then what do you want me to do? You ain't making any sense."

"We need a safe way to transfer your demon to Buffy without taking it away from you."

He was contradicting himself now. What the hell was he on about?"

"Watcher, what are you try'na tell me?"

Wesley avoided eye contact as he uttered his next sentence. "What do you know about vampire/human claims?"


	8. Temptation

Incensed was an understatement. Did Wesley really know what he was asking of him? Of Buffy?

"You've got no idea what you're talking about, watcher."

"Believe me, Spike, I'm fully aware of what a claim does."

"Yeah, but do you know what it means? A claim isn't just a quick fix. It's eternal. Buffy and I would be tied together forever in every way."

Wesley thought about his next words carefully. "I didn't think you'd take issue with that. You've made it clear how much she means to you."

"How can I ask her to commit the rest of her life to me? Never in a million years would she go for it and neither would I want her to."

"I hate to say this but we're running out of options. This could be the only thing that saves her."

The vampire turned his head, remembering Willow was just down the corridor.

"Not the only thing. Willow's here. Maybe she could do something."

"We're not dealing with some common magic that can be fixed with a few spells. This is dark. Ancient. Don't you think Illyria thought about wiccas and witches when she planned this? What's happened was predetermined thousands of years ago."

Spike kicked over a nearby trash can, cursing the situation. "And what makes you think that this'll work?"

Wesley shut the book he had been reading, as if to signify his certainty.

"Illyria obviously needs a pure human body to sustain herself. When did she ever foresee a vampire with a soul willing to claim a human in order to save them?"

Spike didn't know how to respond to that. What Wesley was saying was probably true but it wasn't the point. Forcing Buffy into a corner like that would be wrong. Making her forge an unbreakable bond with him to live. If she didn't know him any better, he was sure she would've assumed that he'd planned this somehow. To make her his forever. A few years ago, he knew he would've been thrilled at the chance. Back when he was in love with the idea of being loved. Before he learnt what loving someone really meant.

"No," he insisted. "I can't." It pained him to say no, too, of course. He knew he was condemning Buffy further by not even considering the idea but a part of him was convinced that even if the slayer did love him, she wouldn't be prepared to go through with the claim. She would've learnt all about the process from her watcher. Especially after Angel, she'd probably been brainwashed into thinking that they were completely immoral and evil. An abomination that would never be accepted. The vampire silently told himself to shut up and stop over thinking things but since when did that work? He probably wouldn't have gotten his bleedin' soul if that method worked.

Wesley suddenly decided to round off their conversation, realising that there wasn't much more to be explained. "I know it's not what you want to hear but there isn't much more we can do that Illyria won't have thought about. Talk to Buffy. Hear what she has to say. She deserves to know what her options are."

As much as he was against the idea, he couldn't deny it. She had a choice and he refused to make it for her. That was Peaches' game.

"Yeah," he mumbled in agreement, before heading back outside.

Dawn, Willow and Buffy were still deep in conversation, leaving Spike alone with his thoughts. He kept analysing the benefits and drawbacks of the claim over and over again. The furthest reaches of his mind were revelling in the idea of the it. To finally be with the slayer, make her his mate, to lose himself in the sweet ecstasy her blood would bring him. These were all selfish reasons and he couldn't allow them to take over. This was about Buffy and what she wanted. Well, when was it not? But this was different. This was the most important decision she'd probably ever have to make. Even to a vampire, who knew that this was his deepest, darkest desire, he could feel the impossibility of the choice ahead.

"Help!"

Spike looked towards the source of the sudden shout. Dawn was stood just outside Buffy's room, tears streaming down her face. The vampire launched himself down the corridor, barely noticing various people emerging from offices and side rooms. As soon as he reached the room, he couldn't miss the horrific sight of Buffy convulsing rather violently on the floor and Willow frozen in shock. Spike had been in the room mere seconds when Knox and a team of three doctors entered. Spike was transfixed for a moment on Knox's face. Was it just him or did the scientist look...excited? Never the less, he immediately got to work, starting by ushering Willow, Dawn and Spike outside. The vampire heard something snap before he saw it. A nasty looking needle, at least an inch long, had totally shattered against Buffy's skin, as one of the doctors tried to insert it into her arm. Speaking of which, what were they trying to give her? Knowing Wolfram and Hart, it could have been any number of harmful, messed up chemicals. He wasn't going to leave them alone with her, no way. Dawn and Willow had already been pushed outside, leaving only Spike to be dealt with by Knox.

"I'm afraid you're gonna have to leave for the time being," the man explained as Spike started to put up a fight. The obviously stronger vampire barged past him. "Not happenin', mate. Especially when I don't know what shit you're trying to pump in to her. I mean, was your magic medicine even helping her?" He pointed to the IV drip.

Knox looked shocked. "We're trying to administer a sedative but the infection seems to have hardened her skin to an impenetrable state."

"You don't say!"

The scientist started to look irritated now.

"Please, let us do our job. We don't know a lot about this but we're using all we have to help."

Spike glanced over Knox's shoulder. All three doctors surrounded Buffy's shaking figure now, frantically fiddling with equipment and machines. A low, animal like growl emitted from Spike's chest.

"Don't think I'm goin' far! You ain't sorted this out in five, I'm comin' back in."

He joined Willow and a still inconsolable Dawn outside. His first impulse was to protect the youngest Summers from the devastating sight before them all, so he pulled her close, making sure her head was tilted away from the scene. Buffy was only just visible through gaps in the blinds now, but gaps were more than enough...


	9. Not Every Possibility

Knox and his team had managed to sedate Buffy quite quickly but not without some precautions. Spike was shocked to see the now unconscious slayer tied down with wrist and ankle cuffs when he, Dawn and Willow were allowed back inside.

"We're just being careful," Knox explained, breaking the silence. "We've got no idea what caused her seizure but we have to consider that it might be the beginning of her transformation. The restraints are necessary incase she, uh...does anything unexpected."

"You mean try to kill us," Dawn added, sourly. Her voice was dry and hoarse. Knox hung his head and hid his face but not for the reason Willow and Dawn assumed. Spike kept on picking up the unusual expressions, tones and body language from him over the next few minutes. What was up with him? Was it his own freaky way of expressing greif? He barely knew Buffy. It couldn't be that.

"Yo, doc, can I have a word outside?"

The man looked apprehensive at first but smiled and followed Spike out in to the corridor and into a small side office. It had nothing but a circular table and a couple of chairs in it. God knew why they needed it.

The vampire got straight down to business. "What's up with you?"

"What?"

"You barely know Buffy, only met her yesterday and you're throwin' us all sorts of weird looks."

Knox looked very uncomfortable.

"I...I don't know what you mean. I'm simply try'na help it."

Spike's skin suddenly tightened, his breath hitched and eyes narrowed. "You what?"

The suspicious scientist realised his mistake.

"Trying to help...'it?'" Spike repeated. For no apparent reason at all, the tension faded from Knox's face and body, as if it was never really there at all. He started to smirk.

"Oh. Oops..."

* * *

It wasn't long before Knox's unconscious body was lying in a twisted pile in the centre of the room. His beating, at the hands of Spike, had only grown worse as he continued to mock the vampire. He didn't need much of an explanation from Knox to realise that he was behind everything, including the shipping of the sarcophagus to Wolfram and Hart. Just then, a couple of laughing employees wandered into the office, their smiles soon fading when they spotted Spike's bloodied and bruised fists and then Knox. At this point, Spike usually would've made a snide comment but he was too mad to say or do anything. Mad with himself for not spotting Knox's shifty behaviour earlier. Eighteen hours spent achieving sweet fuck all. The vampire had been so lost in his fury that he hadn't noticed the employees make a quick getaway. The physical pain of his smashed and mangled knuckles started to become more and more apparent, especially as he started to move his fingers. But then he looked to Knox again and realised that it was worth it. Every bruise, every cut, every ache. This monster deserved a hell of a lot worse and Spike knew how to give it to him. The scientist began to come round as he was picked up by his collar and dragged out of the room and down the corridor. His head was spinning out of control so he had no idea where he was being taken but he had an idea it wasn't anywhere good when Spike purposely let him go and threw him to the ground with a thud.

"Thought you might want to know what your weasel of a co-worker's been up to, Wesley."

From the evidence of Spike's wrath in his voice and in Knox's injuries, the ex watcher didn't have to ask what the pulp of a man had done.

"How do you know?"

"Wanker's been acting weirdly all day and now he's all but admitted having something to do with it." He looked to the weakened scientist. "Now you better start talkin'."

Knox lifted his head as much as he could, his red, swollen eyes preventing him from seeing anything clearly but the agony he was in didn't prevent his brave spirit for one second. "Why? There's no way to stop it."

Spike landed a harsh kick to Knox's jaw. "There's a way and believe me, I'll do anything to get it out of you. Or is your fucked up face not a clear enough example of that?"

Knox didn't answer. He simply looked to Wesley. "You really gonna let him do this to me?"

Wesley didn't look the slightest bit sympathetic.

"Think yourself lucky he hasn't gone further."

The ex-watcher walked towards the man and crouched down in front of him. "Most importantly, I'll let him if you don't give us answers."

"I don't have any. There's no. Way. To stop it." He paused between some words in an attempt to convince the others he was telling the truth.

Spike was about to swing another punch.

"He's not lying, Spike. He hasn't tried to stop us researching so far. I think he believes there isn't anything."

Knox spat out a mouthful of blood, making Wes grimace.

"I don't believe it. I know it. Illyria thwarted every possibility."

Spike looked at Wesley and Wesley looked back at Spike. They both knew what the other was thinking.

The vampire flexed his jaw. "Not every possibility..."

* * *

Buffy was still unconscious, and of course still strapped down, when Spike returned. He had a feeling he'd interrupted when Dawn suddenly span around in a chair, facing her sister's bedside. She looked concerned.

"Where were you?"

"Just...needed to clear some things up."

The girl noticed his knuckles. They weren't bloodied anymore but the cuts and bruises were still very obvious. "What sort of things?"

Spike sighed. They were so short of time now and he really didn't have time to explain anything. The vampire made his way over to and crouched down in front of her.

"Niblet, I know you're scared and I know you've got questions but right now I need to speak to big sis'. Don't pass it around but we think we've got an idea how to help her."

Dawn's eyes lit up like a thousand candles.

"Really? It'll work?" she squeaked, tears in her eyes.

"Maybe. It's not as simple as fixing her though."

Dawn opened her mouth to speak but Spike immediately shushed her. "Later. I need to talk to Buffy."

"But..."

"Dawn."

The element of desperation in his voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Okay."

Spike got to his feet again. Wiping a newly formed tear, that she wasn't even aware of, from her cheek as he told her to go and find Willow, who was probably downstairs making calls.

As soon as the coast was clear, the vampire began trying to wake her. He wouldn't have been surprised if she had the equivalent to horse tranquilizers in her system. He gently squeezed her hand but she barely reacted. He applied a little more pressure this time and spoke softly, hoping the familiarity of his voice would bring her round. He had always been brought out of his nightmares by Buffy's, whether he was imagining it at the time or not.

Eventually, the slayer awoke, unsurprisingly very dazed and confused.

Once her head had stopped spinning, she noticed her restraints.

"What's going on? Oh god, have I hurt anyone?"

Spike immediately shook his head. "No. More like the other way around. Knox is behind the sarcophagus being here. He seems to be some sort of minion to Illyria. Fuck knows what he's been givin' you." His eyes travelled to the IV stand, that wasn't currently in use.

"Hope you kicked his ass for me."

The vampire was surprised at how well she'd taken the news.

"Thought you'd be legging it down the corridor to his office by now."

She shrugged. "Guess I'm just tired of the pain and deceit. Everyone and everything thinking they have the right to screw around with my life."

"No more."

She smiled in disbelief. "You sure about that?"

"Maybe I should've put that differently. Can't promise that nothing'll get in the way ever again. But I can make sure that today isn't gonna be one of those days."

Buffy felt her heart sink. She didn't know how much more optimism she could take. "Spike, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that we've found a way."

The slayer's stomach tightened. "Don't do this. Don't try to give me hope. I know what's happening and it's okay. Really."

"I'm not giving you false hope. Wesley is pretty sure this'll work. The books haven't suggested otherwise either."

Her heart fluttered. "You're serious?"

"Why would I lie, you daft cow?"

He could see the relief in her face and touched her cheek. "It's not as simple as it sounds so we're gonna talk and I need you to be honest with me, forgettin' how I might feel."

She nodded, warily.

"Here goes, then..."


	10. A Slayer In Leather

Both Buffy and Spike were sat in silence. It wasn't unwanted or awkward but thoughtful and comforting.

"Everythin' okay?" Spike asked. The slayer smiled and nodded at him, still reeling slightly from recent events. He knew exactly where her mind was at and held her closer. "I know hearin' what I had to say wasn't easy. Kinda wished I hadn't said anything before I'd ruled everything else out."

"Hey," Buffy interrupted, linking her fingers through his. "There's no point in regretting it now. I know I don't."

The vampire looked relieved. That had been his biggest worry. He'd only just realised that he'd made himself sound regretful. That really wasn't the case. More like wondering what could've been. They weren't really the same thing in his mind.

"No regrets here, love." He cupped her face with one hand and traced the fingers of his other one over the newly sealed bite mark on her neck.

"Mine," he whispered, repeating the word that finalised their earlier act. He was rewarded with the softest of smiles from her.

"Yours..."

* * *

3 hours earlier...

"Told you it was a stupid idea."

Buffy's stunned reaction had sent Spike into a state of panic. He was crazy if he'd ever thought that she'd consider the idea even for second. He'd never felt so humiliated with himself.

"I didn't say anything," she squeaked. The slayer was more annoyed with his tendency to jump to conclusions than with the actual idea at that moment. "This isn't like choosing a day out or finding a new place to live. This is permanent and forever. You need to give me some time to think. Now get back here."

The vampire hadn't realised, in his panic, he'd made his way over towards the door. He only ever seemed to have the impulse to run away from situations when they involved her. He didn't make any effort to move, however.

"You're not walkin' out on me now. Or if you do, I'll somehow get myself out of these straps and...haul your ass back here."

That was his girl. "Got no doubt about it."

She wasn't even aware she was tugging on her restraints when he came into close proximity of her again, desperate to touch him.

"This isn't really the conversation I wanted to have, strapped down," she laughed. Spike pressed his lips together. "Maybe not. But you look damn good in leather."

Buffy couldn't hide her blush, especially in her current position. Deciding to ignore her embarrassment and focus on the real issue, she took a few moments to get her head straight. "I'm not against this idea. I don't want you thinking that."

"I don't know what to think myself. Part of me's screamin', 'What are you waitin' for? This is all you've ever wanted.' And then the realistic part kicks in. I can't help but feel selfish for asking when the only reason I'm doing this is to save you." He realised how that sounded. "Not the only reason. O'course I want this but..."

"You don't have to explain. I get it. I just need some time."

Her hesitation was barely down to Spike. It was more to do with the commitment the claim brought with it. She'd never ever been great at relationships and she wasn't sure she ever would be so what would she be like as a mate? Even more to the point, it wouldn't be fair to Spike when she did eventually pass. He was already devoted to her in every way and the claim would strengthen that bond a million times over. He'd be totally broken without her. At least that was the message he'd put across. She didn't want to do that to him. Not again.

The back and forth battle going on in Spike's mind was becoming increasingly apparent in his eyes. She couldn't focus on trying to think everything through when the vampire was clearly worrying himself silly.

"Would I be screwing up Wolfram and Hart's insurance policy if I got out of these cuffs for a bit?"

"What they don't know won't hurt 'em, hey?" he replied, raising a mischievous eyebrow. She loved it when he did that. Neither one of them had realised how tight the straps were until they uncovered red marks on Buffy's wrists. Spike was careful not to brush anything against the sore patches of skin. "You should'a said something."

Buffy curved her mouth. "I didn't realise. Drugs probably didn't help." The pain was starting to resurface, however, as the blood circulation returned to her hands. The skin had been rubbed raw but she didn't really fancy downing any more painkillers. Suddenly, Spike had an idea.

"Erm. Can I?" he asked, cradling her wrist and lifting her arm slightly. The slayer wasn't one hundred percent sure what he planned to do but nodded all the same. She trusted him and, as her reward, was pleasantly surprised by the sensation of soft kisses down her arm. The soothing feel of his cool, moist lips was a welcome relief on her sore flesh. Somehow, he didn't even make it sting. Slowly, his tounge appeared, from between his parted lips, and dabbed at the tender spots. He paid close attention to each millimetre, moving all the way up to her pulse point, where his lips settled for a little longer than on the other spots. He breathed in time with the beat, appreciating being so close to such a crucial part of her for reasons completely different to a few years ago. Buffy was entranced by his act. It was so tender yet so full of passion. Bordering on predatory. But the truth was, it had barely even dawned on her where Spike's lips - and, more importantly, fangs - were lingering. When Buffy finally did realise, however, it didn't bother her. She knew he wasn't going to bite her, to the point where she was beginning not to mind if he did. He wouldn't take the decision lightly and would only go through with anything like it if she had no doubts whatsoever.

Just then, their eyes met.

"Where is she?" he murmured, making her skin vibrate. "The girl I met in that alley all those years ago. The girl who, as much as she tried, couldn't hide her fear."

Gently, Buffy lifted her arm away from him so that she could slide it around his neck instead.

"She's still here. She just grew up. Grew up based on what she was told and never got to learn things for herself. You brought down her walls and taught her to see the world differently. Hell, she's still awful at hiding but there's no fear to hide anymore. This girl trusts you completely. There isn't a part of her that doesn't want to to be with you. She just wants to be sure that this is what you want to."

The next stare she received from him reached even the deepest, darkest recesses of her soul.

"I never asked to fall in love with you. Never really expected you to feel the same. It changed everything I knew."

The slayer couldn't help but bow her head but Spike immediately lifted it back up.

"But I wouldn't change anything that's happened. It's brought us here, right?"

Buffy couldn't deny that. But there were still so many downsides to this plan."One day, I'll die. I don't want to bring it up but it's true. Are you sure you're prepared for that?"

"Whatever happens next, I'll never stop lovin' you. Not until I'm dust. So being tied to you for the rest of my life would be an honour. Mated to you or not, losing you..."

He physically couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence and neither did Buffy want him to. It wasn't going to happen any time soon.

She brought her head to his shoulder, making him shudder when she she pressed her lips, lightly, to his throat. "Then let's do this..."


	11. New Features

A/N: Claim communication in single quotation marks.

* * *

"When will we know if it's worked?"

Spike shrugged. "That's one thing Wesley wasn't sure on. But hey."

Buffy looked up at him. He was lying on his side, propped up on his elbow, looking down at her.

"You're starting to get some colour back in your cheeks."

Buffy was thankful for the comment but didn't really believe it was a sign. "It's hardly proof."

"If you were getting worse, you wouldn't be lookin' better."

The slayer lowered her eyes again. "Then why do I feel worse?"

"What do you mean?" Spike asked, taking her hunched up position on the bed into account now.

"The pain's worse than before."

Panic started to build in the pit of his stomach again. "Love, why didn't you say anything?"

She responded by curling up some more. All of a sudden, a peculiar feeling came over him. It was painful but just about bearable. Like a really bad headache but not in his head. What was all that about? He tried to put the sensation to the back of his mind as Buffy didn't seem to be relaxing. He rubbed her back, soothingly.

"I'm gonna go see if Wesley knows what's happening. Won't be a minute. Don't worry about anything, love."

She managed a smile.

* * *

After examining Buffy and consulting his books, Wesley had a rough idea as to what was happening. "It could be a couple of things."

"Like what?" Spike asked, holding his mate close.

The ex-watcher let out an involuntary sigh.

"I originally thought that it could be that the claim hasn't worked and the process is continuing."

Both Buffy and Spike felt as if they'd been hit in the stomach by the heaviest object imaginable.

"But that doesn't explain the sensation you experienced, Spike. Can you explain what it is you felt?"

"Like a burning, pounding in my chest."

"And that's what you felt too, Buffy?"

The slayer, still in discomfort, simply nodded.

"Traditionally, a claim allows mates to communicate telepathically. Most of the time, they can choose what to share with the other but that isn't always the case. I'm guessing that when Buffy's pain became too much, you felt it too, Spike."

"So?" Buffy interuppted. The two men looked at her.

"That doesn't prove the claim has worked."

"True but, the telepathy clause has more to it than that. In this particular instance, a healing claim, Spike's demon is feeling your physical pain. If it was having no effect on your condition, he'd only be feeling your pain emotionally. If that makes sense."

Wesley gave a the pair a minute or so to process his words.

"Let me get this straight," the vampire started. "I wouldn't be actually feeling what Buffy is if the claim wasn't helping fight off Illyria?"

Wesley nodded.

Spike kept calm but all he wanted to do was breathe a big sigh of relief. Buffy knew it was too early to celebrate, however, when her old watcher's face remained the same.

"But the journey is still far from over."

The slayer squeezed Spike's arm, waiting anxiously for Wesley's next words.

"We can never truly know the extent of Illyria's power and I fear that she may find a way around the claim."

"But you don't know that for sure?" Buffy asked hopefully.

"No, but there is one thing I'm sure of." Wesley got up out of his seat and made his way over to the couple sitting on the bed, kneeling down in front of Buffy.

"You've got a major fight going on inside of you. Illyria will do anything to stay. This recovery isn't going to be pleasant."

The sick woman didn't seem to react to this revelation.

"I promise, we will do everything we can to help make you as comfortable as possible."

He gave her free hand a reassuring squeeze before getting to his feet and heading for the exit. "It won't be forever."

Buffy didn't really tense up until Wesley had left. She kept trying to etch his words into her brain. 'It won't be forever. It won't be forever.'"

Soft lips placed kisses over her claim mark. The action was soothing and pleasurable, the scar now a sensitive spot that made her feel close to her mate, but this was only a short term solution to calming her down and Spike knew that.

"You've seen the resources they've got here. We've got everything and more to help you through. Promise you won't feel a thing. Won't leave you."

She thought herself out of her petrified state. "I know."

* * *

Dawn returned not long after Wesley had left, deciding that Spike had spent long enough with Buffy, and was relieved to see her sister awake and looking reasonably better than she did before. There were rumours circulating that Angel had ordered Knox's immediate execution so Spike had left to find out what was going on.

The girl ran straight for Buffy's arms but was careful not to shove her too hard on impact. Buffy's pain didn't seem to matter as much to her when she knew her baby sister was safe in her arms. "I'm sorry if I scared you earlier," she whispered.

"You didn't scare me. I was scared FOR you. Different thing." She shuffled further onto the bed, forcing the slayer to budge up.

"I know. But it can't have been pretty."

Dawn couldn't think of anything to say to that, so smiled weakly instead. Buffy played with Dawn's hair as a short silence passed them by. Soon though, Dawn couldn't keep her curiosity under wraps.

"So...you and Spike like soulmates now?"

Buffy was taken aback. "What? I mean, how?"

"I listened in for a while. Sorry," Dawn admitted. She quickly went to defend herself when she was on the receiving end of an itritated look. "Spike told me he'd found a way to save you but wouldn't tell me what it was! You seriously thought I'd just walk away?"

"No. I guess not. But I still wish you'd waited for us to tell you. How much did you hear?"

"Everything up until Spike freaked out and you started to go really deep about your feelings. Even I know when to make my exit."

Buffy breathed a subtle sigh of relief. "Good. Some stuff is private."

Dawn seemed to be waiting for something. "Can I see it?"

"See what, Dawnie?"

The youngest Summers wasn't sure what to call it so simply looked to her neck. Buffy immediately got the message and pushed back her hair proudly, in a way. Dawn looked fascinated by the bite mark. Of course, she'd seen the scar of Angel's bite before but this somehow seemed...different. Why, she didn't know. Buffy knew that Angel was gonna freak when he got back but she didn't care in the slightest what he thought. Not anymore.

'Don't worry. He won't try anything.'

The slayer flinched as an echoey version of Spike's voice interrupted the silence. What the hell? He wasn't even in the room? None the less, he continued speaking.

'I know. Creeped me out at first too.'

Dawn noticed her sister's edginess. "You okay?"

"Yeah..." She swore she felt Spike smile then. "Just still getting used to this whole thing with Spike. If you haven't noticed, claims are kinda crazy."

While she had the concentration, the slayer cleared her mind and focused on communicating with her mate.

'You mind? The whole silent talky thing is kinda distracting.'

The vampire didn't respond straight away, causing Buffy to worry that he'd taken her message the wrong way.

'Easier said than done, ducks. This is all new to me too.'

'So come back and explore it with me.'

Spike's sudden and rather inappropriate thoughts caused her to blush. Fortunately, Dawn had her head down and didn't notice. She looked close to nodding off. Well, it had been one hell of a day. Deciding to wake her before she fell completely asleep, Buffy pushed the hair from her little sister's face.

"Do you wanna go see if there's a free room somewhere? Fred might know."

"Fred?"

Of course. Dawn didn't know anyone here. Spike suddenly felt close. 'I'll take her next door. Make sure no one disturbs her.'

The slayer followed her senses and knew Spike was stood outside. She turned her attention back to Dawn.

"Don't worry. Spike's outside. He'll find you somewhere."

"How..." Dawn looked to the door and then back to Buffy. "Let me guess. Claimy stuff?"

She nodded. "Right."

* * *

Spike made an appearance again a few minutes later, minus a sleepy Dawn.

"Are your thoughts safe to read now?" the slayer asked.

Spike slumped down on the bed next to her. "Define safe, love."

"The kind that doesn't cause me to go completely red in front of my baby sister."

The vampire didn't seem too sincere in his following apology. "Well, you're thoughts right now suggest that you don't mind all that much," he confessed, capturing her lips in a searing kiss shortly afterwards. Neither of the loved up pair noticed a jealous, irritated Angel spying on them through the blinds...


	12. A Violent Turn

"Go, before I change my mind and lock you in here with me," Buffy threatened, teasingly, her arms wrapped tightly around her mate. Spike hadn't fed properly in over a day now and was taking the opportunity to visit the local butchers. Well, local as a butchers could be in LA. He'd probably have to travel a few miles to get to one. He'd insisted that he could manage with regular food for a while longer but they both knew blood would suit him better. The vampire pretended to look deep in thought. "I don't sound too opposed to that, actually. What do you plan to do with me in your clutches?"

"Hmm. Sleeping, pain relief, more sleeping. Maybe some mind reading."

"Plenty of time for that later, sweetness. If you need me," he brought two fingers to his temple, before kissing her lightly and making his exit.

* * *

Buffy was so busy daydreaming about her vampire that she didn't notice Angel outside, preparing to knock. His entrance took her by surprise.

"Angel. When did you get back?"

"Not long ago. How are you doin'?"

She pulled a blanket further around herself, more to feel protected than anything. "Better. I'm not sure if Wesley filled you in. We need to talk."

Angel was already sure on one of the topics that would come up at one point or another. "I know. You and Spike. I saw you."

"Angel, it's not as simple as that."

The vampire didn't know why she was dragging this out. Was she purposely trying to torture him? Rub it in his face?

"Yes, Buffy. It is as simple as that. I asked if you felt that way about him back in Sunnydale. The least you could've given me was the truth."

"I-I didn't know then. I've only realised this past day."

Somehow, he didn't believe her. "So I've spent the last twenty four hours travelling to the other side of the world to help you and Captain Peroxide uses that as a chance to get back into bed with you?"

The slayer felt anger boiling up inside her. "It was NOT like that!"

The jealous vamp leant back against a wall and folded his arms. "Well, do explain then. I'm all ears."

Why was he acting the innocent? He wasn't entirely blameless in this.

"Where do you get off blaming Spike? Wesley was the one to tell Spike that the Deeper Well couldn't help me after all. You obviously didn't want us to know. When were you planning on telling us so that we could find an alternative?"

Angel looked a little stumped for a second. "I didn't want to worry you."

"So instead you thought you'd let me continue to think that there was hope when I could've been finding another way to save my life?"

"Could've been?" Angel repeated.

"Don't try to change the subject. I can't believe you tried to keep me in the dark."

Suspicious, Angel wasn't paying attention to her questions anymore. "What do you mean 'could've been?' What have you found out?"

The slayer sighed. Well, now was as good a time as any to get things out in the open.

"Me and Spike...we're mated. A claim was the only option we felt I had left and, as far as Wesley knows, it's working."

Angel was suddenly so still, he could genuinely pass for being dead. "You're what?"

"Don't make this harder. I get you're upset but we wanted this."

"Do you have any idea what you've done?!" he yelled. The sudden hostility in his voice took Buffy by surprise.

"I'm not a kid anymore. I don't need you to lecture me."

"You obviously do when you've been so stupid."

"This is none of your business. How can you justify having a say in my life anymore?"

"I'm trying to look out for you, Buffy."

The more agitated the slayer became, the more physical pain she started to feel again. "I'm not doing this now. Just go."

Buffy begun to turn away from the vampire when he harshly grabbed her by the arm.

"You can't just walk away like everything's fine!"

A now infuriated Buffy tried to tug her arm out of his grasp, unsuccessfully. She continued to struggle but her current condition wasn't helping. "Angel, get off of me!"

"Not until you listen to me!" He tugged her arm a little too violently then, causing her to lose her balance and slam into a wall. Angel could only watch in horror at what he'd done as Buffy fell to the floor, clearly winded. He didn't have long to regret his actions when he, himself, was shoved against a window, his left arm forced behind his back.

"Alright, peaches," Spike started. "After I've caused you a considerable amount of pain, you've got five seconds to get the hell out of here."

Angel probably could've escaped Spike's hold but he knew that he deserved this.

"Let him go, Spike," Buffy wheezed. Spike looked to his mate and then back to his grandsire for a few seconds before releasing him. The blonde vamp made sure that he was stood between Buffy and Angel as his nemesis made his way to leave.

"Buffy. I..."

Angel stoped when his ex looked up at him, eyes narrowed and shining with anger.

"Get out of here."

He did as he was told without another word.

"You alright, love?" Spike asked, crouching down beside her. She nodded.

"Just a little winded. I thought you'd left?"

"I had. Hadn't gotten far when I started getting some weird vibes from you though. Got here as fast as I could when he..." The vampire couldn't even say the word without feeling enraged. "If that sod lays a finger on you ever again."

"He won't. As soon as I'm at full slayer strength again, he won't have the chance."

The pair sat for a couple of minutes, regaining their calm and going over what had just happened.

"We can't stay here," said Buffy.

Spike looked at her.

"Not for much longer. Angel will never accept what's happened."

Spike knew she was right. There was just one problem.

"Where would we go? Don't know if you've got any permanent residence at the moment. I sure as hell don't."

Buffy laughed. For someone so intelligent he wasn't half forgetful sometimes.

"Remember Rome? Dawn goes to school there, we've got an apartment. Come stay with us."

"As long as bloody Andrew isn't still there. No idea how you can live with him."

Buffy bit her lip. "It won't be forever. Just for a while longer. He has been a big help."

Spike sighed. "Alright, fine."

"Don't worry, we'll have our space. Even someone like Andrew gets that."

There was another silence.

"We are waiting until you're better, right?"

Buffy shot him a suspicious look. "Yeah. Why?"

"Don't think I'm ready to move in with the nerd quite yet."

"If it bothers you that much, I can-"

Buffy wasn't too bothered that Spike interrupted her when she felt his lips on hers.

"Said it was fine, pet. Everything's fine. And I got a feelin' it will be for a while."

Buffy looked shocked. "Spike, I do believe you're being optimistic."

"Watch it, slayer. You won't be fragile forever. Who knows what I'll get up to when you're back on your feet."

The slayer knew she shouldn't have been made so excited by his playful threat.

"Well, until then, you better be gentle."

"I hope by now you trust me to do that."

"Always."


	13. Appliance Hunting

A/N: Claim communication in single quotation marks.

PREVIOUSLY: Buffy and Spike went through with the claim, to fight off Illyria, and everyone is pretty sure that its working although not completely sure as Buffy is still sick. At the same time, the sickness cause could be put down to Spike's demon joining in the fight against Illyria, in Buffy's body. With the claim, came some weird stuff that Spike and Buffy are still getting used to. They can read each other's thoughts and feelings and can communicate telepathically with the other. They also both feel at their strongest and happiest when they're in close proximity of each other.

* * *

The next week was full of good days and bad days for Buffy as her body continued to fight off Illyria. Nobody knew how long this would go on for, but daily tests showed that her vitals were stronger. Even Buffy, herself, noticed that she looked better. The slayer used this information to talk Dawn into going back to Italy, to continue school, and to convince Willow to to go back and help Xander, Giles and the others.

"How you feeling, kitten?" Spike asked, as Buffy awoke in his arms, on their ninth day in LA.

She didn't say anything but, seeing as he could feel her pain as his own, he took that as an answer instead.

"Not great, then," he concluded.

Her head throbbed, her throat was viciously coarse and ,man, did everything ache. She shook her head before burying her face in her mate's chest, but the action wasn't just for the purposes of shielding herself from the harsh lights of the room. She was sick of spending her days in this damn hospital room.

"I know, you'll be there soon."

Buffy hadn't even been aware she was thinking of Rome until Spike mentioned it.

'Why can't we go now? Being here isn't helping.' That was one upside to the claim. She could communicate easily with Spike without speaking and hurting her raw throat.

The vampire smirked at how child like her request sounded.

"Wesley's the only bloke who has a clue what's goin' on. That makes him your new best friend, love. Besides, we'll probably get more privacy here than we do with bloody Andrew around."

The slayer wanted to reprimand him for being so harsh but, deep down, she knew he was probably right. Before they knew it, they'd ended up telepathically sharing Angel insults while on the subject of privacy. To any spectators, their patchy verbal laughter would've seemed very strange.

Buffy's laughter was drowned out by a sudden kiss from Spike. "I bloody love you, woman."

The slayer pulled away slightly. "I need to bash Angel to get you to tell me you love me?"

Spike rolled his eyes before kissing her again. The smile he felt creep onto her face reassured him that she was only teasing.

"I have to find a way to annoy you somehow. Angel seems like the perfect way to go."

Spike assumed that Buffy's boldness was down to her being sick. She knew he'd always be nice with her when she was.

"Bloody minx, you are."

Just then, he felt her move her hands under the covers, not really making much of it until he noticed that she wasn't stopping.

"You cold?"

"Freezing."

The slayer moaned at the loss of contact with her mate when he sat up to shrug off his duster and drape it over her. As cool as the outer leather was, she couldn't deny the warmth of the inside of the coat.

"That's the best I got. I can go see if they've got a heater knockin' about somewhere?"

As much as Buffy loathed the idea of Spike leaving her, even if it was just for a few minutes, she was painfully cold. "Please."

The vampire did his best not to let any warm air escape when he made his exit from the bed.

"Here I go," Spike started, opening the door with no idea where he should start looking. "Appliance hunting."

The slayer grinned. "Harmony might know something. I mean, she is the C.E.O's secretary."

"Oh please, Harmony can't tell the difference between a dishwasher and a washing machine. And she runs errands for Angel. Why would he need a heater?"

Spike's explanation seemed logical.

"There's gotta be one in an office 'round here. Won't be long."

Buffy felt herself missing Spike's presence instantly. Things felt even colder and bleaker without him.

* * *

After several minutes, she couldn't help herself and checked up on him.

'How's it going?'

The slayer waited a little while for a response.

'Well, appliance wise, I've found a vacuum, numerous printers, even a sodding guitar but no heater. It's been bloody freezing out there, recently, and no one has a heater!'

Even without reading Buffy's mind, he knew she was about to tell him that it didn't matter and to come back.

'And I ain't givin' up until I find one,' he added. 'My girl needs to keep warm, I'll make sure she does.'

His words made the slayer want to be back in his arms all the more.

She snuggled down under the covers, but the frustration of not being able to feel sleepy, get comfortable, or have a certain vampire to snuggle up to soon made Buffy abandon her quest to relax and sit up quickly in irritation.

She soon discovered that doing so wasn't a great idea, when the sudden movement caused her head to start pounding even more than usual. It was like a headache but, at the same time, not so much. It was worse. Lots worse. Just as she thought the pain was dying down, her vision started to fade, more and more until the point that all she could see was a black blur. She'd had this plenty of times before. It was a sort of headrush from getting up too quickly but, ten times worse because of her current condition, of course. She waited for it to pass but, it didn't. She wasn't even regaining a little bit of her sight. That was the point when things began to scare the slayer. Freaked out, Buffy began to shake her head, blink, do anything that might snap her out of what ever the hell was going on, but blackness was all that remained behind her lids. She was so panicked that she couldn't concentrate on even trying to make Spike aware of what was happening. After trying and failing to convince herself that it was a dream, the slayer grabbed anything that she could hold on to, certain that she felt herself slipping away. Was this it? Was this the final stage of Illyria's takeover? But she was losing, wasn't she? Or was this an illusion Illyria had invented to ensure that everyone stopped trying to eliminate her? All Buffy knew right now was that she was scared beyond belief and had never felt so out of control in her whole life.

Suddenly, the one person Buffy wanted most in the world walked in. She could sense him from the tingle at the back of her neck.

"No such luck," he was saying. "But apparently this place gets whatever they want within a few hours of ordering. Shouldn't have to..." Spike trailed off when he noticed his mate's distress. She was frantically turning on the spot, hoping that she could sense where he was. "Spike?" she whimpered.

"I'm right here, pet." He hurried toward her, lacing his fingers with hers. "What's goin' on?"

Before she could help herself, the slayer grasped his arm with both hands, not realising how tight her grip was. "I can't see. I-I sat up and everything just went dark, and now I can't see anything, a-and I thought I was falling, and no one would find me and..."

The vampire shushed her, comfortingly, not really understanding what was going on from her frightened babbling.

"Slow down, love. Tell me again."

Her breathing was a little slower, now.

"I sat up and everything just turned black. I can't see anything. What if it's Illyria?"

"Hey," Spike said, sternly. "We don't know that. It could just be some bloody weird effect of the claim or something. Call me a bleedin' broken record, but our best bet is Pryce."

His words only made Buffy grip his limb tighter. "Don't go! Don't leave me!"

Spike looked to the door and back again. He'd only be gone for a minute, if not seconds.

"I'm only nippin' down the corridor, ducks. Promise I'll be right back."

Buffy reluctantly let him go, waiting with bated breath for his return. It suddenly felt strange when she began to cry. The slayer felt as if tears didn't belong in her eyes anymore.

* * *

As promised, Spike returned with Wesley in tow no more than a minute later.

"Tell Wesley what you told me, love."

Buffy explained everything, a little quickly at first, again, but not so rapidly that her former watcher couldn't process her words. A sudden rattling of drawers unnerved Buffy, even more so when no one was said anything. The slayer felt her head being tilted back and someone partially leaning over her.

Wesley finally spoke. "I'm just going to take a look at your eyes, Buffy. See if I can spot anything that might've lead to your loss of sight."

Buffy could feel the heat from the light being shone and switched between her eyes, but she couldn't see it.

"Do you see anything?"

The distressed woman shook her head. "Still just black. Wesley, what's going on?"

He didn't say anything. He just continued to run various tests that both Buffy and Spike were very confused with. They had no idea how they were meant to determine the cause of whatever was happening.

"C'mon, Pryce," Spike said, clearly frustrated. "You've got to have some clue what this is."

Wesley put the tool he'd been using to the side.

Buffy could feel the tension in the air. "Is it us? Is it the claim?"

Again, nothing was said by anyone. Eventually, Wesley collected his thoughts and began to relay what he knew. "Claims don't have side effects. Nothing like this should happen."

Spike tried to push him onwards. "So it's to do with the invading little beasty then?"

The ex-watcher honestly didn't know what to say. "Perhaps. I'm no expert. I've been working with what I've seen and heard. Most of it's been luck and guesswork!"

"You better not be sayin' what I think you're sayin'." Spike almost growled the sentence.

"Maybe Illyria is being suppressed. Maybe not. I don't know what's happening, Spike."

"Can you fix this?" Buffy asked, lowering her head. "What he's saying is can you fix this?"

Poor Wesley sounded on the verge of tears. "There is nothing physically wrong with your eyes or eyesight. I can't fix what isn't broken. I'm sorry, Buffy..."


	14. A Cold Calling

A/N: Claim communication in single quotation marks.

Dedicated to Monique (sunnydalesis) to thank her for her truly appreciated inspiration.

* * *

"What do they look like?" Buffy asked, feeling Spike's stare on her. He tried to act oblivious by looking away but he soon realised that was a pointless move. She knew full well that he knew what she was talking about.

"My eyes. Are they red? Swollen? Blotchy? What do they look like?"

Spike studied them. More for his own benefit than Buffy's. He already knew what they looked like. The vampire just couldn't help but admire her perfect emerald orbs. "They look normal. Nothin' wrong with them."

He leant close, kissing first her left eyelid, and then her right.

"Well, there's not exactly nothing wrong with them?"

He sighed. The conversation was becoming exhausting. There was no new information, so Buffy kept insisting on re-hashing the old stuff. This was the forth time she'd asked him to check if her eyes had changed colour or whatever in as many minutes. And, as much as he loved looking into her eyes, her vacant stare was somewhat unsettling. He knew she was scared, but her repeating the same questions almost made it sound like she didn't believe his answers the first time round.

"O'course there's somethin' wrong with them?" he said at last. "There's just nothing physically outta' place.

As it turned out, Buffy's tear ducts were still working well, as evidenced by the fact that she started crying.

Spike's heart ached. He hated it when she cried. Much more when he'd caused it.

"C'mon, ducks," he said, clutching her hand. "Don't be like this. We'll figure it out. Fuck what Wesley said. No way does this sort of thing just happen without there being a cause. Maybe him not finding anything obvious is a good sign."

Sniffling, the slayer pulled herself closer to Spike and then cleared her throat. "How did you come to that conclusion, exactly?"

"Obviously something mystical caused this and, therefore, it's reversible."

Buffy wasn't convinced. "I was meant to be getting better. Now we know that all of this," she paused, silently referring to everything that had happened to her over the last week, "just proves that I'm getting worse. Who were we kidding to think that we could stop this?" She shuffled along the bed, now away from Spike. The vampire grabbed her arm in an attempt to get her attention as well as prevent her from falling.

"So that's it? You're just gonna take this? The Buffy I know wouldn't stop fighting this until..."

Buffy turned her head toward the sound of his voice, as if to look at him. "Until what?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Until I'm dead?"

"Buffy, stop."

Everything seemed just about holding together when Spike was optimistic but she could tell in his voice that, as much as he was denying it, deep down he was losing hope. The slayer felt the anger and upset she'd been furiously trying to fight bubbling to the surface. Even the person who believed in her the most knew that the end was near and, as much as she knew he was right, she couldn't help but feel angry.

"Then you may not have to wait very long!" she found herself yelling. Her eyes opened and looked for him, despite the fact that everything was still black from her perspective. She was positive that Spike's silence was a result of her outburst up until the moment the claim spoke otherwise. Her cruel comment was the last thing on his mind.

"Buffy...your eyes..." He didn't know how to finish that sentence. Telling her that the her entire iris had gone a dark shade of unnatural blue possibly wasn't a good enough explanation as to what was happening. Just as Spike began conjuring a thought of getting help, Buffy ripped her arm from his grasp and half threw him across the room. Dazed and confused, the vampire frantically tried to establish what the hell had just happened. No logical explanation was needed, however, when he immediately felt his link to Buffy begin to fade and a link with something else take its place. The closest thing he could describe the sensation as was an ache. The worst ache imaginable.

Buffy was stood tall by the door, all the wear and marks that the last week had brought her, completely gone. Her vicious eyes only grew bluer.

"You've kept me at bay long enough." She still sounded remotely like herself, except colder, brittle and with a softer American accent.

"Now you all pay."

"Buf-"

"I refuse to be addressed as this exceptionally strong mortal who has tried to supress me. The very memory of her name in your mind sickens me. I am Illyria."

All Spike wanted to do then was drop to the ground and let Illyria destroy him. He'd failed to save Buffy. She'd finally succumbed to the infection she'd used all her energy and will power to fight.

The God seemed to revel in his misery. "Soon, the shell's consciousness will cease to exist."

Then it dawned on Spike. Wesley had said something about Buffy's essence still being present for the first few minutes after physical transformation began. Nothing was set in stone yet. Illyria was the other end of the link now too. Maybe he could communicate with Buffy, still.

The vampire didn't even string together coherent sentences. He simply sent anything her way that could remind her who she was. His girl could still fight this. Not long after, Spike watched Buffy's stony features slowly melt into the ones he recognised. Her shining eyes blinked back tears and her lips began to quiver. She was here, she was gaining control again.

"Spike. Help me," she whimpered, obviously desperately trying not to let Illyria crawl back to the surface.

He stared directly at her, silently communicating with her. 'Only you can do that, love. She hasn't won yet. You've still got the control.'

She looked to the floor, unable to move the rest of her body, as if she was telling herself she couldn't.

'Don't you dare, Summers. I've barely just found you. I ain't losing you yet.'

Her face hardened again and her skin started to become tainted with blue patches.

"Enough! These human emotions reek of love and greif."

Without a second thought, Spike vamped out. "I ain't no human." He lunged for Illyria and knocked her to the ground, sinking his fangs into her neck before she could easily throw him off like he was a soft toy. He could feel the close, intimate connection of his and Buffy's demons pushing Illyria down and out within seconds. Nothing was as powerful as a bite. He momentarily wondered why they didn't try this before but Illyria was probably way too embedded in Buffy's consciousness a few minutes ago. His mate's anger most likely sparked the transformation.

With a final gasp, a sort of black smoke poured out of Buffy's mouth, somehow screaming as it did so. The vampire retracted his fangs, and game face, before throwing himself over his mate to try in any way to protect her from the foreign body, now hovering above them. Spike also recalled Wesley mentioning that Illyria's spirit couldn't survive long outside a host body. That's why it only chose to escape the confines of it's sarcophagus when Buffy was leaning directly over it. Sure enough, the smokey essence only took a few seconds to struggle back to the lab and the sarcophagus before it disintegrated into...well, nothing.

The vampire was reluctant to move from his position over Buffy for a little while longer but, her lack of movement started a panic inside him. When he did move, Buffy was lying unconscious beneath him, her heartbeat almost non existent...


	15. Hanging In The Balance

Disclaimer: I apologise if I'm not 100% scientifically accurate in this chapter. I did my research but I'm no expert.

* * *

Spike impulsively shook Buffy to bring her round but unsurprisingly, nothing happened. He focused in on her heartbeat again and it was still slowing.

"No, no, no, no, no!" He looked around for anything that might help and spotted an emergency cord, tugging it before he even considered who might come to their aid. The only sensible next move was to recall all the things he'd picked up on CPR and resuscitation over the years. He'd never needed it and never thought he would so his biggest worry was doing something wrong that could cost his mate her life. He placed both hands on her chest, one on top of the other, and began compressions over her heart. He virtually had no clue what he was doing or if he was doing it correctly but waiting wasn't an option. He wasn't aware of how violent his compressions were becoming even as Buffy's limp body began to shake with the force of them. Where the bleeding hell were the doctors? Did they have so many emergency cords pulled that they'd learnt to ingore them or something?

"C'mon, baby," he panted. She needed air. That was one thing he couldn't give her regardless of his inexperience. Just when he was about to give up all hope on someone ever coming to Buffy's rescue, Fred entered the room with two men that looked a little like paramedics following behind her with medical backpacks slung over their shoulders.

"What happened?" Fred gasped, crouching down next to the slayer's lifeless body and quickly checking her pulse.

"She's not breathing," Spike responded, refusing to halt his compressions until he was sure that Fred was ready to take over. One of the medics took a mask, with a pump attached to it, and secured it over Buffy's mouth while the other began to squeeze the pump. After a few seconds, a female medic joined them, preparing to take over compressions. Fred gently placed a hand on Spike's shoulder, hinting for him to get ready to let someone else take over.

On Fred's count, he scrambled out of the way and allowed the doctor to resume the process. She seemed to be more thorough and confident in her compressions even though Spike had more physical strength than her. The vampire barely felt Fred's comforting arm around his shoulders as his eyes didn't leave Buffy's closed ones. He just sat there, praying that he would see any sort of natural movement.

The seconds slowly turned into minutes and still, nothing changed. Everyone involved looked less hopeful now and had occasionally shot pitiful looks at each other. Spike wouldn't have it. Like hell would they give up while he was still in this world. Buffy's head lolled slightly, revealing the still open bite wound on her neck. It took a few seconds for it to hit Spike what he'd done. He'd bitten her and had no idea how much blood he'd taken. He had been so focused on forcing Illyria out that he had no idea what else he'd forced out. His satisfied hunger was now telling him a lot, though. Oh god. This was his fault. In the process of making Buffy's body unsuitable for Illyria to manifest in, he'd taken more blood than was good for her.

* * *

Ten minutes had passed when all three of the doctors eventually looked up and nodded in agreement. It was the female that told Spike, "I don't think there's anything else we can do." All three of the doctors eventually looked up and nodded in agreement.

"Bollocks!" Spike growled, tears choking him up. "She needs blood."

Fred shot him a surprised look.

"She ain't gonna survive if you don't give her any."

Only then did one of the medics notice the wound on Buffy's neck.

"We need to restore a partial blood flow before we can even consider stopping and giving her blood," the female said, still continuing with compressions even after calling it. "The fact of the matter is, we haven't been able to do that. It's unlikely that anyone who suffers a cardiac arrest can be revived after ten minutes of CPR."

"She isn't just some plain old human though! Give her a chance and she'll make it. She'll make it."

* * *

It had been three quarters of an hour since Buffy's heart had stopped, the team decided to quit for good. There was no talking them out of it.

Fred was crying. She tried to comfort Spike but the vampire was so numb he barely registered anything. Not even his own thoughts or how he was feeling. He'd been asked if he wanted time alone with Buffy but nobody was surprised when he didn't answer. As the others prepared to take her away, he placed a tender kiss on his slayer's forehead. He made no hint as to whether he wanted more time with her but everyone else left anyway. He hesitantly leant down to cradle her, spending the next few minutes in silence.

"I was always gonna be the death o' you. Should'a pushed me away when you could. Not that I gave you much choice, of course."

He wiped a stray tear caught in the corner of her eye.

"I'll take care of Dawn. I won't let her down. I promise. If there's one thing I can keep good and pure in this world then it'll be her."

The only comfort Spike found was that Buffy looked peaceful. Like she was forever in a deep slumber.

"God, what am I gonna say to her." He pinched the bridge of his nose, telling himself not to cry, as if he still had someone in front of him to stay strong for. "Would you want me to tell her the truth? Or would you want me to lie and say that everything was quick and painless? I dunno what to do."

Spike knew he had to get his own grief in check before relaying the news to anyone else. Ultimately, it was a bad thing to do but he couldn't bare the thought of showing weakness in front of Buffy's closest friends. Her family.

He kissed her for what he knew would be the final time, ignoring the shock of her lips already being a little cooler.

"I love you."

Suddenly, he heard a flutter. A very familiar flutter. He looked down at the slayer, placing a hand over hear heart, in vain.

"Buffy?" He listened closely and realised that it was. Although very shallow and weak, she had a pulse.

"Fred!" he almost screeched. Both Fred and the medical team rushed in.

"She's alive. I can hear her heart."

Fred immediately got to her knees and checked the slayer's pulse before looking to the doctors. "He's right. Hurry!"

After checking that they were correct, one of the male medics spoke.

"Her heart can partially pump some blood but she needs extra to increase the flow as soon as possible."

Yet another couple of doctors rushed in with bags of blood, and Spike knew - not least due to Fred's tugging on his arm - that they expected him to clear the room and leave them to it. There wasn't a chance in hell. "I'm not leaving."

"She's in the best capable hands. It's best if we give them some space to work."

He ripped his arm out from Fred's grasp. "I said, I'm not leaving her. Not until I know she's okay."

No one in the room argued.

* * *

Another hour after that, Spike was sitting in a lounge he'd finally allowed himself to be lead to, and Fred returned.

"She'll be okay, Spike. They've got her heart working again. She just needs a couple of transfusions."

He'd only just noticed the cup of pig's blood she was holding out to him.

"You look like hell. You need to keep your strength up. For Buffy."

He immediately felt sick. He didn't know if he could think about, let alone drink, blood ever again after what he'd done.

"It's my fault."

Fred lowered the cup. "What?"

"I bit her. I forced Illyria out of her system but I took too much blood. I didn't even realise I was doing it. I was just so focused on helpin' her...I didn't realise."

The Texan placed her hand on his. "Don't blame yourself. Like you said, you didn't know what you were doing."

"Exactly. I didn't know what I was doing and I almost killed her. I did kill her for a minute."

"But she's okay. Didn't you say Illyria was gone too?"

He nodded, looking down at the floor.

"Then that's even better!"

"Because she came back," Spike continued to explain. "I felt her slip away. I almost wanted to..."

He stopped. This was all so wrong. "I even considered turning her. Just so I wouldn't lose her. She wouldn't have wanted that and I almost didn't care."

He ran a hand through his hair and tucked his knees up to his chest. "She was dead. It was one in a million her coming back. I couldn't have lived with myself if I'd killed her. I still feel like I can't."

"You didn't. She's alive, you got Illyria out of her and she's alright. You saved her."

Spike said nothing.

"Can you tell me what happened? How Illyria 'left?'" Fred hated changing the subject so disrespectfully but she knew Wesley would want an immediate report on the afternoon's events. For everyone else's safety as well as Buffy's.

Once she'd really tapped on to how shell shocked Spike still was, though, she decided to leave it. "Uh, never mind. There's plenty of time to explain later. I'll let you know when you can see Buffy."

Fred started to make her way out but halted when Spike called her name. "Let me know when she's awake instead. I don't think I'm ready to see her with her eyes shut for a while, yet."

* * *

Already on edge, the last thing Spike needed was a visit from Angel, a few minutes after Fred left. This was the first time they'd faced each other since the incident in the hospital room.

"She's stable."

Spike was surprised that was all he had to say. He seemed calm but a little too quiet.

"Yeah. Fred told me."

There was another long silence.

"Doctors said she lost a lot of blood."

Spike only looked to the floor for a second before Angel, in full game face, had pulled him up and slammed him against a wall, pinning him there.

"Don't think I didn't see the bite mark, you bastard. I knew you couldn't control yourself and you almost ended up killing her. Just wait until she wakes up and realises the mistake she's made getting involved with you again."

Spike's guilt and turmoil fueled his strength and rage, sending his fist flying into his grandsire's face. A humiliated Angel eventually recovered from the blow, now a good metre from where Spike was standing.

"You've got no idea what happened and I don't have to explain any of it to you. You hear one little thing that doesn't sound right, and make up this whole story in your head to make yourself feel better about what you lost. What you were too much of a ponce to realise was the best thing that ever happened to you."

A silent tear dripped down his cheek. Angel clenched his fists. "I did what was best for her and that meant leaving Sunnydale."

"No. You did what you did for you. No one else. You broke her fucking heart and now you can't bear the thought that you'll never have her again and that someone else can make her happy. She's mine and I'm her's. Nothing you try to stir up'll change that because she knows...she knows that everything I do, I do it for her."

The dark haired vampire looked very taken aback by the emotion Spike was displaying, but he wasn't at all sympathetic.

"We'll let her make up her own mind about that."


	16. Irreversible Damage?

Buffy had spent most of the rest of the day in an unconscious state, her body desperately trying to pump the transfused blood around her system. Spike's rational fear of seeing Buffy lying around, lifeless, was still preventing him from checking on her. She could be awake for all he knew but he was too afraid to take the risk that she wasn't.

The thought that Angel was creeping around her room and possibly even trying to manipulate what had really happened had almost snapped him out of his state a couple of times, but he'd always retreated after reaching the corridor that led to where she rested. Any other time he'd simply use the claim to reach out to Buffy but he hadn't been able to feel it since her heart had stopped. She was alive now but he was guessing that it'd take a little longer to feel that she was.

The now stone cold cup of blood that Fred had brought in earlier was still sitting on the table, taunting and torturing him, but he didn't dare touch it to remove it from sight. A ray of light suddenly ignited the dark lounge as someone opened the door. Spike stood up. Was it Fred? Had Buffy come round yet? What was taking so long?! As Wesley came into view, Spike deflated slightly and resumed his seat. Wesley's arrival didn't fill him with hope. If there were good news, Spike was sure Fred would be the one to pass it on. Even so, he went ahead and asked the inevitable question anyway.

"Is she awake?"

Wesley shook his head. "No, not yet. But I think it would be better if you were with her."

Spike felt panic rising in the pit of his stomach. "Why? She's okay, isn't she?"

"She's fine, everything's normal. I just think your presence would benefit her recovery. After all, you're still her mate."

Spike didn't feel at all comfortable with this idea. He couldn't see her like she was. He just couldn't. Not when she'd been lying dead in his arms, less than twelve hours ago.

"Fred told me why you won't go in there and it's perfectly normal to feel like that after what you went through."

Spike huffed. What he went through? That was a joke. What he'd been feeling was nothing compared to what he'd put Buffy through.

"The truth is, she's okay, Spike. You've got no reason to be worried. She's just resting."

Spike said nothing and continued to stare at the floor.

The ex-watcher was about to leave when he thought of something.

"You know, Buffy was too scared to come back and see you after she'd dealt with Dana."

The vampire's sad, blue eyes looked up at him.

"I went to see her, told her she had nothing to be afraid of. She came round."

"Yeah, and look where that got her."

Wesley sighed quietly. "My point is that she was working herself up over nothing. Go and see her. I can only keep Angel away for a certain amount of time so I'd go quickly."

Spike immediately wanted to ask what his grandsire had been up to since his beating, but held his tongue. Now wasn't the time for petty jealousy.

"I'm gonna be the last person she wants to see."

A figure appeared behind Wesley, suddenly interrupting Spike's train of thought.

They spoke. "You've never been more wrong."

Wesley was now looking round at the mysterious person too.

"Buffy?"

The slayer stepped into the light to reveal herself. She still looked weak but Spike could notice a vast improvement from the last time he'd had seen her.

"Shouldn't you be resting?" Wesley asked, concerned but clearly relieved.

"I've done enough resting for one lifetime this past week." All the while, the slayer's eyes didn't leave her vampire's. The way she was looking at him slightly scared Spike. He'd never seen her look so lost or so confused. The poor woman obviously couldn't recall much.

Wesley almost immediately left the room, sensing the unfinished business between them.

"What happened?"

Spike didn't know how to answer her.

"Oh god, what did I do? Please tell me I didn't hurt anyone."

Anger immediately surged through Spike. The mere fact that she suspected she'd done anything wrong made Spike hate himself even more. She must've noticed his sudden change of mood because she looked even more lost. The vampire instinctively took her into his arms and held her closer and tighter than he ever had before.

"You've done nothing, kitten. Nothing whatsoever. Don't you even go thinking that."

For the first time in what felt like weeks, Spike noticed the reappearance of the bond. It was badly damaged but slowly repairing itself. Maybe Wesley was right about physical closeness being beneficial to them both. It felt wondeful to feel Buffy's soul surrounding him again. He knew she felt it too when she melted into his embrace, pulling him to her even though the space between them was already non-existent. He ran his fingers gently through her hair repeatedly as he thanked whoever was up there for bringing his love back to him. Suddenly, Buffy went rigid but very slowly relaxed again over the next minute.

"Don't blame yourself," she said out of nowhere.

It took Spike a few seconds to realise what she was getting at. It simply made him hold her closer. For once, he was grateful for their telepathy. It meant that he didn't have to explain today's horrible events again.

"You didn't mean to. It's okay." All confusion had now faded from her face.

Her forgiveness made it harder for him to forgive himself.

"You saved me. I'm still here."

To Spike's reluctance, his mate pulled away to look up and make eye contact with him.

"Don't torture yourself over this. You meant well and everything turned out okay." She touched his cheek, trying to soothe him with little success. He blinked back tears, not knowing how he could ever make this right.

"You died in my arms and I was responsible. It's gonna take some time for me to forget that."

The slayer kissed his lips lightly. "I know. The sooner we get away from here, the sooner we can start again."

Spike took a deep breath. "Yeah. But for now, can you just let me hold you?" He sat down on the couch, pulling her with him and allowed herself to be pulled into his lap. "Don't think you realise how much you scared me today."

The slayer nuzzled him. "I'm still here," she reminded him yet again.

After more minutes of much needed silence between the pair, Buffy knew what she wanted to do.

"Please, let's just get out of here. I can't stand this place any longer."

Spike knew exactly what she meant.

"LAX it is then."

She smiled. "In a few weeks, this will all be a bad dream..."

* * *

"Wasn't it worth the six thousand mile trip for this view?" Buffy called back into the apartment to Spike. It was hard to believe that two days ago, they were stuck in a miserable concrete block in the heart of Los Angeles on one of the hardest days of their lives and now they were in a beautiful apartment overlooking night time Rome.

They'd wanted to leave for Italy almost immediately but that had proved impossible for a number of reasons. Although Buffy and Spike were both convinced that she was alright, they gave into Angel's demands that she stay to be checked over. After all, something may have been hidden from the claim. Wesley had also wanted to brief them on the circumstances of Illyria's death before the couple left the country for the foreseeable future. The slayer also took the time to thank everyone properly for all they'd done for her. Especially Wesley. Without his quick thinking, she and Spike would never have been able to take the steps that ultimately saved her life. She also had to thank him for bringing her and Spike closer in a way that they'd never even considered. Neither were quite sure how much the other loved them before, but the strength of their bond now showed how much love there was at the moment of the mating. At least they'd never be on the same level of insecurity with each other anymore. There wasn't another direct flight to Rome until the morning so the mates spent most of the remainder of the day resting, embracing and refusing to leave the other's side. They'd never had a day with so many 'I love you's' whispered. Eventually, morning arrived and they'd hopped on their flight without a moment's hesitation and here they were.

The slayer awaited a response from her mate about the beautiful view and was about to check on him when he made his way out on to the balcony to join her.

"Didn't need to travel half way across the globe to get the view I was looking for."

Buffy felt her cheeks flame. Even more so when he wrapped his arms around her middle from behind.

"You didn't answer my question," she continued, smirking as she did so.

Spike looked back out at the street lit landscape before lifting his eyes to the gleaming white moon.

"Yeah, it's alright I guess."

Buffy jabbed him in the ribs. "It's not a cheap view to look at. You should see the rent on this place."

Spike opened his mouth to offer to pitch in but was immediately silenced by the slayer. "But with me, Andrew and Dawn all paying our share, it's affordable."

"It'll be even easier if you let me help."

"Trust me, its fine. I invited you to stay so you're our guest."

Spike raised his eyebrow and she amended, "Okay, permanent resident."

He continued to shoot her a funny look.

"Jeez, what do you want? A house warming party?"

Spike growled before sweeping Buffy up into his arms and carrying her back inside. The view aside, there were a few other things about the apartment that Spike was thankful for. One of them being that the balcony lead directly into the master bedroom.

"Can think of something else that could do with warming up."

He placed her down on the edge of the bed and started pulling her shoes off.

"Dawn'll hear us," she said, her tone of voice suggesting that she wasn't really that bothered.

"I don't even have to read your thoughts to know you don't care."

An embarrassed expression crept onto the Slayer's face but Spike's speedy removal of his shirt soon distracted her.

"Hey, guys?" a voice from the other side of the door called to them. "Have you seen my Italian leather shoes? I need them for tonight."

Spike had almost forgotten that Andrew was under the same roof as them.

"Bloody hell. Wanker certainly knows how to ruin the mood."

Buffy smirked. "At least we know he's out tonight."

Buffy's attempts to lift Spike's sudden mood change didn't work much. She should've guessed that he wasn't going to react well to having to be patient. The slayer wriggled out from underneath her lover and called out a response to Andrew before leaping into the soft pillows at the head of the bed. Simply the feel of the luxurious sheets surrounding her was enough to make her feel sleepy. She outstretched her arms to a still half-naked Spike.

"Come be my big spoon," she yawned. Spike didn't have to be asked twice and slid up behind her.

"It's nice to actually have room to do this properly now," Buffy confessed, stretching her limbs out to make use of the double bed.

Spike sighed softly in response. "Just a tad. You would've thought Wolfram and Hart could afford some decent beds with all the cash they've got. Promise I'll never take a double for granted again." He ran his fingers up and down the exposed areas of her thighs, the action being too enticing not to, and was pleased when he earned himself a soft moan from her. The moan became a squeak when he sought out a particularly ticklish part of flesh.

"Stop!" she giggled.

"Thought baby liked that?" He started placing little kisses on her temple and down to behind her ear. She sighed loudly and swiveled around in her mate's arms so that she was facing him. She intertwined her legs with his and put her arms around his torso. "Just hold me."

Without really meaning or planning to, the pair were asleep in minutes. Of their many weaknesses, neither were aware that a hugely comfortable double bed was one of them...


	17. Epilogue

Six months. Six happy months had passed for Buffy and Spike and they barely had a care in the world. Sure, they hadn't gotten away with patrolling avoidance, as someone needed to keep an eye on the streets of Rome, but they always managed to find time for themselves. In the past weeks, a number of events and conversations had contributed to a big decision in their relationship.

"You need me to sign anything on there yet?" Spike asked as he dropped down onto the bed, next to his partner. She was surrounded by about a dozen sheets of paperwork, only three of which she'd filled out.

"No, not yet. Still all the boring stuff to do yet."

He kissed the patch of skin behind her ear. "Remember why we're doing this. In a couple of weeks, it'll all be worth it."

Buffy smiled. "Yeah. I can't wait to hold her, give her the biggest hug."

"So, you're definitely not having second thoughts then?"

The slayer gasped. "No way! As long as you're not." She tossed the pen in her hand aside and draped herself over him, rolling him onto his back. "It's a lot of responsibility. You've got to nurture her, feed her, look after her like she's your own."

"Well, once all these forms are finalised, she will be. She'll be our's."

Buffy stared at him with adoration. "I can't believe how enthusiastic you are about this. I never really saw you as the..." She paused. "Fatherly type."

"I wasn't. But a lot's changed for me in the past 8 years. You changed me for the better. Even if I have gone a little soft."

She leant over and kissed him, sort of in a reassuring manner. "That's not a bad thing. Anyway, I think I've always known that you have a sensitive side. You don't have to act all 'tough guy' for me."

Spike didn't look convinced. He'd never been great at dealing with comfort or pity. "Anyway," he continued, wanting to shift the subject back to the new addition to their family. "Get on with this paperwork so I can take you out on the town tonight."

Picking up the pen was now the furthest thing from the slayer's mind. She rolled off of him. "You're taking me out?" she asked with a grin.

"That's if you're up for it? We could always stay in and get stuck on the sofa in front of one of Andrew's god awful chick flicks."

"Nope. Plan A sounds good!"

* * *

Buffy awoke, a little hungover, the next morning to Spike running his fingers lightly up and down her exposed arm. She felt him smiling down at her as she muffled a yawn and rubbed her eyes. The light shining through gaps in the curtains told Buffy that it was late morning. She should've been getting up and continuing with adoption work, but all she really wanted to do was have a wonderfully lazy day with her mate.

"Morning, love," he whispered, softly, as he realised that she was stirring. She whimpered sweetly in response and turned to face him before giving into her tiredness and closing her eyes again.

The vampire smiled. "C'mon baby, rise and shine. We both need to get out of this lazy day routine."

Buffy moaned in protest again and pulled a stray blanket over her head. He sighed. The last thing he wanted was to drag her out of the blissful state she was clearly still in, but something told him that when their new arrival came along, they weren't going to get much peace. Wasn't it better that they were prepared for the possible early mornings and late finishes to come?

"I'll take you out for a bit of breakfast? My treat?"

Buffy peered out from under the covers, her hair messy from dragging them over her head. "Oh yeah? Thought you were broke?" He suddenly looked embarrassed. The cash for the watch he'd pinched from Angel didn't go very far. "I'm sure I can persuade Giles to part with a grand or two as well. Watcher's Council has got to be bloody loaded."

Buffy grinned. She wasn't surprised that he had suggested such a thing. He'd probably never worked a day in his life and his qualifications, from when he was human, were probably a little out of date. She jumped up and straddled him. "I'll tell you what. I'll buy breakfast and you can pay me back."

"Deal."

She leant over, meaning to kiss him briefly, but they ended up embracing passionately. They were never going to get out of bed at this rate.

* * *

Eventually, however, Spike had used a mixture of fear and excitement tactics to get Buffy back into paperwork mode. Two ibuprofens and a cup of coffee later, Buffy was having a final chat with Dawn about how she felt about her and Spike's decision.

"I know the apartment is already pretty crowded and I want to make sure that you're okay with someone else being here."

"Buffy, why would I mind? This is awesome news! You never know...could there be more pitter patter of tiny feet of another type in the near future?"

Buffy snorted before falling into a full blown laughing fit. Dawn looked slightly offended.

"Dawnie," Buffy started, her voice still shaky. "A kid? Are you insane? Even if it was possible, my body's been through more than enough for a century. Plus, kitten equals cute and less maintenance. Totally the better option."

"What's the better option?" Spike asked as he walked in from the bedroom. Both Summers ladies looked at him.

"Getting the cat. Dawn here thinks we should adopt a baby instead."

Spike seemed to choke on air. "Steady on, niblet!"

The girl didn't back down, however. "But you'd make the best parents now! Besides, imagine how cute a baby and a kitten would be together! Just think about it."

Spike and Buffy glanced at each other, telepathically ensuring that the other felt the same way about Dawn's suggestion.

"We've thought about it," they said in sync, only for Buffy to finish. "There shall be no more talk of babies except of the cat variety, okay?"

Dawn opened her mouth to protest but Buffy stopped her.

"Okay?"

"Fine." She waited until the pair were out of earshot before she finished her sentence off. "But I bet you'll change your minds..."

* * *

A/N: And we reach the end of our story! Hope the little plot twist wasn't too misleading at first. I will agree with Buffy that kittens are definitely cuter.


End file.
